Lilium: Mother of the Silpelits
by Ou-Rex
Summary: Heralded by the call of an instinct, the hive mother seeks her king, the only one that could complete her, and allow her to turn a blind eye at the pain of her torn wings.
1. Lilium

**Disclaimer: I do not own Elfen Lied. My Plot Gerbils felt utterly torn by the Manga's end and wished for a better life for the suffering souls, but we wholly respect how Okamoto-sensei ended the series, because ending it in such an unprecedented manner to courage.**

(A/N: I wrote this fic because the ending to the Manga left me…wanting more. The ending itself was a beautiful tale of death and rebirth, but I can't help but feel unsatisfied that someone like Yuuka would eventually win when she has never truly suffer and only ever wanted. You may review, flame or what you wish, but I wrote this so that those who enjoy Elfen Lied and perhaps wished an alternative scenario. This story was brought upon by a moment of listening to Lilium, the OP to the Elfen Lied Anime. I will spin my own tail of death and rebirth. Enjoy)

**Lilium: Mother of the Silpelits**

**Chapter 1: Lilium**

" I will protect Kouta…" Were her words as her left arm melted from its bone. "Because I was never allowed to become one of you…"

A vector launched from her body, pulling into the cockpit of the jet that fired at her and the unconscious Kouta.

"Did I hit it?!" A garbled voice struggled through the twisted static of radio receivers.

They would stand as the pilot's final words before facing death to Lucy's vector which crushed into his skull with prejudice rage. His head erupts within his helmet, the excess of blood splatters against the windows and instruments, forever silencing the fighter plane.

More and more jets cut through the sky like fierce devil birds, lunging for their meek prey that obliviously tended to its nest in tempts to build a life. She sat kneeled atop the ruined tower, the only boy, only person, only man she ever loved suffering in her arms. Would he live? If not they would pay more than what they have already.

"Then I will make it so that you have no choice but to accept me…" She pitifully chooses.

Her vectors ripped through the steel birds like a blade into flesh. The metal raptors, their silver skins peeled like flesh from bone, crash into the city below, buildings falling to ruin and entire blocks setting a blaze.

The fires choked the skies with thick, black smoke. The curtain of death hid the carnage from the rest of the world as screams erupted from wrecked homes, and torn earth.

Across the seas, ships position to destroy the lone Diclonius in the heart of the country. Missiles launch from the sea-bound Leviathans. To the horror of the vessel's crew members: the missile, but launches a few meters into the air having been deflected by Lucy's vector. The projectile descends and explodes against the hull of the ship.

This was not enough to sink the might leviathans.

"All ships take defensive stance!" Bellowed the captain to his crew, but it was too late.

An innumerable number of vectors proceeded to rain down upon the men, the humans who cursed her existence.

It was an existence to be accepted and praised by man, for they had finally reached the apex of their existence, but man soon came to the realization that for a new species to be born, the old must die. Their fear cursed the life of the Diclonius. It cursed them to a life of solitude, abuse and loneliness.

"Start the vector canceller!" The scientist cried.

It was too late. The vectors ripped into the ships. On land one could see the pillars of smoke and walls of fire that danced along the surface of the ocean. It was like the entire country was engulfed in the flames of the underworld itself.

This was their punishment.

They were like the very animals they claim to be above.

Humans…simple a word that describes the soon to be forgotten breed of beast that now sit beneath the Diclonius. She would make it better, for him. She would make up for breaking her vow to him. She only wanted him to…

It wasn't long until the screams dulled down across the seaside town. No longer did the town glow with a beauty that elicited the feeling of a warm summer, but now sat smoldering in its ashes; a barren wasteland indicative of a eternal winter. The sun sat bleeding its fire scarlet hues across the horizon, further staining the lands red.

The dull tone of sirens droned through the streets, carrying the wounded to any medical facility that was left standing. The sounds of barking echoed from the muzzles of rescue dogs as they desperately searched for survivors beneath the ashen stones and toppled buildings.

High above the ground stood the pillar in which man attempted to rage its final war against the new race. Hundreds of feet below, on the ground, police and military authorities kept watch. The destruction had stopped. Did that mean she was dead? Asleep? Sate?

Flashes of red and blue danced against the reflective metal of the structure's legs. Above the Diclonius Queen took no heed as she gently stroked the face of the man she loved with all of her wasted existence.

He was the reason she suffered. He was the reason she searched for another reason to continue on in this dark, lifeless world. It was a miracle she had found him again. She couldn't lose him, not now. She would give up her life if it meant saving his.

"Please be okay Kouta." She gently whispered as she brushed the back of her blood stained hand against his cheek.

Her left arm was completely deteriorated from the elbow down. Skin and muscle had been completely melted and dripped from the bone which remained.

Kouta's cheeks were a deep scarlet from his previous excretions, but he was quickly paling and growing colder to the touch.

Below the two a sharp buzzing sound ripped across the air, which forced a flock of ravens to scatter. Down below one of the police chiefs had located a working megaphone.

"We know you're up there. Give up, you're completely surrounded!" His voice scratched against the amplifier as his made his empty threats to the now placid Diclonius.

She tilted her head slightly, her red hair falling over her eyes. Her hand stilled from its motions, knuckles laying flat against skin. He was warming up again. The feeling made her heart thrum in her chest.

"Kouta?" She called softly, her voice hoarse from her wretched sobbing.

She was at her limit, but she would not give up. She would gain his forgiveness no matter what it took.

"What should we do?"

Board meetings were being held in order to find a means of destroying the lone Diclonius that tore away at the very roots of humanity.

The subtle irony of such a term: Humanity.

Not only does it greatly define that which is human, but it also defines venerations of kindness, compassion, sympathy, which seems to be the one thing that these—humans severely lack, above all other creatures, that are born of this world.

"Our next move would be…"

Another man spoke as his body perspired with anxiety.

"To ask the United States Army for nuclear…"

The suggestion was quickly thrown away. Nuking your own country, for what? To allow vectors to destroy it?

"If we target just outside of Enoshima we could…"

"As if we could easily adjust a huge nuclear bomb!! And if completely depends on the direction of the wind, if we miscalculate we could easily get the capital involved!"

Another man argued. The head of the meeting sat with his hands crossed beneath his chin. His thin glasses slide off his nose ever so slightly as he carefully eyes the nervous figures in the room.

"So we have…run out of ideas then?"

The man spoke. A dark silence hung over the room. It was then they all realized just how much danger they were in, not as a country, but a species. It was their end…

A small phone in the back of the conference room rang with a deep urgency.

"This is conference room 601…"

The man began a look of horror strikes his face. "Lucy has stopped attacking?!" He called aloud in shock.

Sitting at the coast of the beach, just below the twisted remains of the tower sat Nana and Kurama. The older man was barely able to move. Nana clung lovingly to his arm and started up at the tower, her pink cheeks twisted in concern.

"Go ahead Nana…your friend is there, right?" Kurama's tired voice gently commanded to the young Diclonius.

Nana looked to him with fearful eyes. She wouldn't abandon him!

"But…I can't leave papa alone." She responded, a warm smile spreading across her features, but it was still obvious she held torn feelings in her heart about the situation.

"I'm fine now. I'll be there to help soon. Besides I was the one who injured your friend. So, you should go in my place." Kurama looked to his 'daughter', a stern, yet supportive expression on his dirtied features. "Nana. You should go do things nobody else can." He said as tears began to well up in Nana's eyes.

Yuuka and Mayu raced up the stone steps toward the tower with Wanta racing close behind.

"_Kouta…please be alright." _Yuuka cried as she forced her tired, burning legs up the steps.

"Nyu…" Kouta called in his sleep.

Lucy couldn't help the tears that ran down her face. The droplets of salt cascaded down, raining onto the boy's warm cheeks.

"Kouta…" She softly responded.

"No! We have to save Kouta!" Yuuka yelled in rage at the police chief as officers held Mayu and her back.

"Who are you talking about?! And are you insane there's a monster up there!" The Police chief shouted.

Yuuka couldn't hold back her tears any longer.

"No! She isn't a monster! Please! Kouta is hurt! We have to save him!" Yukka fought against the police with all of her might, but her tired body couldn't keep up.

"Sonva!" One of the police shouted as Wanta bit deeply into his shin. Yuuka and Mayu pushed through hand raced up what was left of the teetering steps.

"No, leave them!" The police chief called as the two officers attempted to run after the girls.

The men stopped and turned to their commander who could only shake his head. The two officers looked up and watched as the girls raced to their deaths.

Lucy pulled Kouta's weight against her bare chest and brushed her wet cheeks against his skin. She could hear him breathing softly. She was happy he was getting a restful sleep.

She had never known she could use her vectors in such a way, to save a life.

"_To think that my life, which was used to do nothing but kill: could be used in such a meaningful way." _She sighed as she thought to herself.

As she silently sat on her bloodied throne, revealing in the warmth of the skin of this human…

No he wasn't a human, he was Kouta, and she was finally given the chance to touch him and hold him close.

With the virus now spread would the Diclonius race continue or would Arakawa be able to remake her vaccine?

"Kouta!" Yuuka's voice rang out as she and Mayu made it to the top of the tower, shocked to see Nyu cradling Kouta.

The two girls assumed the worse. Blood was everywhere and debris lay scattered around the two figures. Yuuka attempted to take a step forward but stopped when Nyu's head snapped up revealing a hateful expression, partially hidden under sweat soaked hair.

This wasn't Nyu…it was the other one.

Lucy.

Yuuka didn't know what to do as this … woman, held Kouta to her. Was he alive or…?

"Leave…" Lucy commanded, her voice trembling with spoken rage that stemmed from a lifetime of abuse and having everything, everyone she loved, taken from her.

She would not allow them to take him away. Mayu took a step in front of Yuuka. The young woman tried to stop her but Mayu smiled at her, as if she knew the extent of Lucy's control over those—things.

"Nyu…?" Mayu called hesitantly as she leaned over ever so slightly. Wanta stood by Mayu's side, panting and wagging his tail.

"Lucy." The Diclonius corrected.

Mayu nodded and crouched down beside her friend.

"Lucy…" Mayu corrected herself.

Lucy glances over to the young black-haired girl, her remaining arm cradling Kouta's head. Mayu stood and ripped off a portion of her sweater. She slowly walked over to Lucy and knelt down again.

The Diclonius startled a bit and her vectors had shot out defensively, but when she felt Mayu's gentle touch the arms froze suspending just inches from sinking into the girl's skull. Mayu tightly wrapped the cloth around Lucy's missing arm. Lucy looked to the girl, her red hair falling back over her shoulder.

"We need to take Kouta to the hospital. He won't survive if he stays here." Mayu explained.

Lucy's eyes turned away from the girl.

"Lucy, please? We're his friends too." Mayu begged.

Lucy's head snaps up at the phrase. Her eyes travel until they meet with Mayu's dark black orbs. She was smiling sincerely. With all the time she has spent with them, she knew Mayu to be trustworthy. The Diclonius' eyes snap to the side when she feels another walking up the steps. Yuuka felt nervous. Was that glare directed at her? Footfalls? Behind her? She glances back to see Nana making her way up.

"Oh no, Kouta!" Nana cried.

She froze in fear when she saw Lucy sitting there, covered in blood, missing an arm and glaring at her.

"Lucy, please." Mayu called once again.

Lucy looked to the girl and nodded. Yuuka sighed in relief.

"Nana come help us." Yuuka called as she ran over to Lucy. Nana hesitated a moment.

She looked back to Lucy only to find her gaze was no longer settled on her but Kouta. Pushing back her fear she walked over to Kouta to help Yuuka and Mayu lift him up. It was a great deal easier with Nana's vectors. Lucy watched as they carried Kouta away.

"Wait!" Mayu stopped and looked back to Lucy."Lucy…aren't you coming?" Mayu frowned. Lucy shook her head.

"I will wait here. When he returns…I know he forgave me. Tell him I'm sorry, when he awakens…" The Diclonius said as she turned to face the ocean. The twilight slowly engulfed the town.

Here she would wait.


	2. Menschenopfer

**Chapter 2:****Menschenopfer**

The police turned to the sound of footfalls clapping against the metal steps of the tower. Turning they are shocked to see the girls that had raced up there were still alive, and now carried the excess weight of a young man.

"Help them!" The old chief called as a few officers took the order and ran toward the girls.

"It's one of them!" One of the officers called as they turned their heads horrified by the pink haired girl with horns.

He reached to his holster as quickly as he could and went to aim at Nana but he quickly found Yuuka standing in his way.

"M-move!" He ordered shakily.

He held his gun tightly, attempting to steady it. The rattling of the weapon could easily be heard at such close range, even with the sirens blaring in the background.

"No, it's alright." A deep voice came from behind the crowd of police.

The slowly turned to see as Kurama pushed through the crowd.

"The boy's been shot, he's top priority." Kurama spoke with authority.

"B-but Kur—" The chief tried to stammer out.

"I said it's alright." He calmly spoke as he turned to look to Nana.

Her cheeks were flushed a soft pink and her eyes filled with tears.

"Papa…" Nana murmured shyly.

Soon Kouta was loaded into an ambulance and driven to the last standing hospital in Enoshima. The ambulance pushed through the leveled city. It was a frightful sight that one person alone could do such damage, or perhaps it wasn't a person? It was true this being, whatever it was, was not Human, but in the same sense: is. Yuuka rode in the back of the ambulance with her cousin.

"Please Kouta, wake up soon…" She watched as the EKG monitor counted every beat of his weakened heart.

The mask of the respirator fogged with each of his shallow breaths, and his lungs wheezed with effort. Yuuka held his hand, silently praying that he would be alright. He's already suffered so much…

At the base of the tower the police chief stood by Kurama's side.

"Are you sure it's alright we let those girls go up there with that monster?" The chief questioned, as the older man began to question the sanity of this so –called doctor.

It was no surprise, after all it was human nature to fear and hate what it did not understand. They cannot be blamed, but in the end of all the suffering and pain, who would be the one to take responsibility? All the death caused by one mistake, all the loss caused by one obsession, the irreversible fear caused by hate… Kurama's brows furrowed at the inclination of the thought.

"That girl isn't a monster…this was all my fault." Kurama admitted as he has finally comes to terms with his choices.

The blood, all of it, was on his hands. _He _would take blame for _his _mistake. It was his fault he followed the fear of others. He had no reason to be afraid, to do what he had done, he had merely _followed what he believed was right. _In turn he killed innocent people, innocent people that would never return. The police chief looked to Kurama who sunk to his knees.

"Lucy will you be alright?" Mayu asked as she sat by the silent Diclonius Queen.

Nana stood a distance away watching the two interact. Mayu had used Nana's jacket to cover Lucy's bare form. The Diclonius had since sat, nearly frozen in her own time, staring off toward the ocean. She did not respond to Mayu.

"I'll bring you some onigiri later alright?" Mayu happily offered the silence.

Wanta barked out and waged his tail, but Lucy still did not move. Mayu stood and turned to Nana. She silently questioned the smaller Diclonius. Nana looked up to Mayu, her hands gripping against the shirt she had been wearing beneath the light jacket. Nana had fallen into the same fear. She was the same as Lucy, a Diclonius, yet still she had been taught to fear her own kind, her own blood. She believed herself to be a good girl, but in her attempts to attack and take Lucy back to that horrible place, she had only forced the worse out of the lonely woman. That is all she was: lonely. She had found peace, a peace and place of belonging Nana had thought she had always held in her arms. Mayu stood and walked over to Nana. The smaller Diclonius jumped when she felt a warm hand enclose around her shaking one. Nana looked up at Mayu.

"Please keep an eye on her Nana. She's been through a lot." Mayu smiled and raced down the steps of the tower.

Nana turned in attempts to pull her back but it was too late as she found her hand grasping at the empty air. She felt cold. Nana jumped and turned to face Lucy, afraid that if she turned her back to her the terrifying Diclonius would striker her dead, but the red-haired woman still hasn't moved. Was she still afraid of the helpless Queen? Maybe Lucy had suffered enough and has lost her will to live? Nana took a nervous step toward Lucy. Nana had been so entranced in her own attempts to confront Lucy that she hadn't seen it coming. Lucy's vectors shot out causing Nana to cower in sudden fear. She too released her vectors to try and fight Lucy's off but gasped when Lucy's vectors shot past her and halted a bullet mid-air.

The ball of spinning lead still smoked from the force of its impeded path. Nana turned her head to see that a pair of police men had been set up to get a hold on the situation. Down below they had only seen Mayu run by, and assumed she had been fleeing from the pair of Diclonius. Nana shook with fear. She had come so close to dying. She turned to face Lucy, her left eye visible glaring from beneath the falling strands of crimson hair. Nana saw the Diclonius' eyes narrow ever slightly. She turned and could see the policemen couldn't move. They cried out feeling pressure on their necks and limbs. Lucy would rip their throats out and tear their limbs to shreds for their intrusion.

"Lucy no!" Nana cried out, her shriek carrying along the stifling winds that passed along a heavy stench thick with smoke and burning flesh.

Lucy's eyes slowly rolls to glance at Nana. There was that silence again. The sirens had but become dull white noise that hardly seemed worth noticing as they had become another piece to the environment, another constant company that held no precedence.

"T-that's enough, Lucy…that's enough." Nana spoke through her shaky voice.

Lucy turned her head away so that she now stared out to the ocean once again. The two officers were set down and they ran away the moment they were freed of the vectors. While the pair of Diclinous stood in their silence, Kouta was rushed into an examination room.

"Is this some sort of joke?" The doctor that had been examining Kouta left to meet Yuuka in the waiting room.

Yuuka turned to the enraged physician.

"W-what's wrong? I don't understand." The panic stricken woman shouted.

The doctor sighed and waved his clipboard. "I was told he was shot!" The doctor was annoyed, time wasted on a perfectly healthy boy when there are many dying and dead to attend to.

"He was!" Yuuka snapped back in anger.

Of course he was! Right?

"He's perfectly fine, physically, but currently he is in a coma due to the stress. Probably caused by the destruction that monster was doing. In any case he's currently hooked up to various monitors and is being closely watched. You may visit him now. I have other patients in greater need of my attention." With that the doctor turned and left.

Yuuka cried into her hands. He was okay, but…she ran toward his room.

"Are you mad?!" The Police chief cried out. "I understand you're tolerant of these monsters because you've worked with them, but Kurama, we can't just leave this one alone!"

Kurama glared at the chief, who took a step back.

"You want her to attack again? Right now she is acting on survival instinct. She will do anything to protect herself and those she considers worth protecting! I will not let it happen again!" Kurama shouted back.

Yes it was just like before. He had sworn to protect that girl. He had never known a Diclinous to protect another in such a manner, at least not until years later when Nana came to the now non-existent facility. She swore she would pay him back for betraying her trust, and killing the girl she, for some reason, held so dear. What made Diclonius act in such a manner? What made them want to protect rather than destroy as their natural instinct seems to dictate at birth?

"Are you mad?! That boy earlier, he could be the first of more she takes hostage and…" The chief's words were quickly cut short when Kurama's fist met with his face, a horrible crunching of cartilage could be heard.

"She protected that boy from your jets, your weapons, your blind attacks! If that boy died, we would not be here now!" Kurama finally snapped in his rage. _"He had protected her…and was hurt, by me, because of it. And she cried for him, a Diclonius."_ Kurama thought mournfully.

How could he have allowed things to go so far? Never again would he allow such atrocities against these monsters, creatures, these neo-humans.


	3. Gefangene

**Chapter 3: Gefangene**

It had been only a day since and the world began to spiral down into misty veil of utter chaos. Countries that had been at war with each other for eons, enemies now become friends in order to survive. The virus had become a prime concern for the World Health Organization.

All of Japan had been quarantined as a result of the virus being released into the water. Professor Arakawa was called the leading expert to the nature of the Diclonious virus and participated in video conferences with the Director and Director-General of WHO, as well as the entire Assembly of the Organization.

'"I understand that you produced a vaccine to this virus Professor Arakawa?" The director spoke, leaning forward in his seat. Arakawa sat in her seat her head lowered.

The meeting room was bright and all around sat those who had created the Vector Cancellers. It had been Arakawa's dream to finally be recognized as a real professor and not just some assistant, but was this the price for her selfish dream?

"Professor!" The director called.

Arakawa gripped the hem of her skirt, her legs pressing together as she bit down on her lip.

"It's gone…" She whispered pitifully.

The General of the Army cleared his throat and looked to the web cameras.

"Upon rescuing the Professor from the sinking laboratories she had been forced to discard both the vaccine and notes, but she can, without a doubt, recreate it, right Arakawa?" He looked to her expectantly.

She nodded, but that shook her head. Everyone from both sides of the video conference look at Arakawa.

"The virus is airborne…" Arakawa managed to spit out over her own horror.

Everyone gasped in dismay of her words.

"This quarantine is pointless. It's only a matter of time until the global winds bring the virus around the world once. It will take months to make another virus, maybe years without ay Diclonious samples. All the Diclonious died in the laboratory." She explained as tears fell from her eyes.

"W-what about that Diclonious woman in Kamakura!?" The WHO general stood to his feet. Arakawa laughed aloud.

"Do you really think she'd do anything to help us? Anyway if we get anywhere near her she'd just start killing people again." Arakawa sighed.

How morbid, would it all end like this? She laughed to herself, for even now she could only think of the things she didn't do, the things she's never experienced. How selfish. Maybe humans deserve to be taken over and destroyed by their own progression.

"What about that boy?" The army General said as he stood to his feet. All eyes fall upon the well dressed man.

He furrows his brow in seriousness.

"There is a young man being protected at the hospital, he is said to have a connection to the Queen Diclonious. She saved him from being killed when the fighter jets were bombing the tower." The General explained.

Arakawa looks up at his words, realizing who he meant.

"N-no! You can't!" She gasps when she realizes her outburst. She shakes her head, standing to her feet.

Her chair is pushed from under her with a snap.

"We don't know if he has anything to do with Lucy! We could further traumatize him after what he's been through!" She amended quickly as to not arouse suspicion.

The General looks at her suspiciously. He gives a nod and turns to the web cameras.

"I apologize. Director…do what you must. We will try and find a way to subdue the Diclonious and obtain the necessary sample to begin work on the vaccine and we will contact you as soon as we have settled things here." The General spoke in a clear, concise manner.

The WHO Director nodded and soon transmission was cut off. The meetings were dismissed.

"Will you be alright Arakawa?" The general asked the young woman as she reached the door. She stopped, hand just against the door, keeping it from closing.

She looked to the ground as strands of her black hair fell over the frame of her face.

"I feel as if we've done everything to deserve this fate. What would have happened if we had done things differently I wonder?" Arakawa groaned out in frustration.

The General nodded.

"Good night Arakawa." He strongly bid the woman who sighed and left the room.

"General what are we going to do?" The General's lieutenant questioned.

The General narrowed his eyes.

"Go get me that boy. I want him interrogated on all that he knows. He seems to be the center of all of this chaos and he'll answer for it one way or another." He strongly ordered.

Back at the top of the tower Mayu sat next to Lucy who was ever the silent. Wanta lay off to the side, sleeping near the girls. In Lucy's mind the only way she could ever be happy again was to gain Kouta's forgiveness. The only way to do that was to allow him his revenge. She broke her promise… She couldn't stop taking away lives; they all wanted to take hers. She had to survive long enough for him to forgive her, she just had to.

"Come home."

Lucy blinks and lifts her head from her knees. She could feel the warm air against her skin, the stench of death no longer lingers over Enoshima the skies, though still clouded over with the dark presence of smoke and clouds, no longer felt so cold. Mayu had brought Lucy new clothing to wear and food every day. Lucy wore a pink, sleeveless shirt and a long beige skirt. She had a pair of tan suede boots that fit her well enough. All of the items were Yukka's old hand-me-downs. The Diclonious no longer felt comfortable wearing the woman's clothes, because she now understood Yukka's feelings toward her, but because Mayu had offered them, and Yukka offered them to Mayu in pity, Lucy accept, if only to give the young girl a sense of accomplishment for repaying the others for always caring for her.

"The doctors said as soon as Kouta wakes up he can come home. It won't be the same if Nyu wasn't there" Mayu offered.

Lucy lowered her head sadly. Did she have the heart to tell her? Nyu was gone? Dead: and it was her fault.

"_I didn't go anywhere. As long as Kouta needs Nyu…"_

Lucy gasped softly, which caused Mayu to jump a little. Lucy looked over to Mayu.

"But…" Could she just continue on making excuses like that?

She looked over to her shoulder, something warm pressing against it. Lucy looks to the hand that now lay upon her shoulder and looked up to its owner. Mayu smiled warmly at Lucy. The young girl reached out and wiped Lucy's tears from her eyes. The Diclonious gasped. She hadn't even known she had been crying.

"We can wait for Kouta together." Mayu took Lucy's hand and waited a moment before the teenaged Diclonious stood to her feet.

The two girls slowly descended the steps of the destroyed tower. Down below police were posted twenty-four-seven too keep watch on the Diclonious incase it went berserk again. The officers on watch gasped when they saw the young girl that always visited the monster, walking with the very beast holding her hand. To any stranger it would have looked like any other scene of a younger sister leading around her older sister, as the elder one bent to their childish whims, but it was the contrary. These weren't strangers; they knew full well that Lucy was a monster.

"Where do you think you're going demon!?" One of the officers called as the other two pulled out their guns.

Behind them was a barricade of police cars and swat team members. They knew guns wouldn't work on her, but it was an instinct drilled into them. It was an instinct that told them to shoot to kill anything that might be a threat. Lucy's vectors pulled out and launched toward the officer's heads.

"Going home!" Mayu's exclamation caught everyone by surprise and Lucy's vector's stopped inches from their necks.

The Diclonious' heart thudded in her chest. Why couldn't she stop? Why was she always so afraid? Was she no better than the humans, who would go around killing, lying, stealing, raping?

No.

She didn't want to kill, but she had to protect herself. From who? Them, they always would do horrible things to her and take away everything and everyone she cared for. What about her?

Lucy looked to Mayu as she brave stood in front of the Diclonious. She was protecting her with all her might, yet she didn't have vectors, nor guns. She doesn't truly know what, but she knows something terrible happened to Mayu that's also caused her to fear humans. She knew because of the way she would avoid everyone when she had first come to the Inn and would jump and get a fearful look in her eyes when she would look to Kouta, Yukka or herself were together in any way.

Yet she didn't reciprocate those feelings of hatred.

Was there really another way that she had never learned? If there was she would learn it and gain Kouta's forgiveness. Before Lucy was fully aware of her surroundings she felt Mayu tug on her hand. Lucy's vectors retreat back into the recesses of her body. Mayu leads her away, leaving a brigade of shocked, fear-stuck officers. They immediately call the incident into the station as soon as Lucy and Mayu are out of sight. They had been ordered not to attack, lest flare up the Diclonious' vicious attacks again. They could do nothing but watch her leave.

At the hospital Yukka sat at Kouta's bedside. Every day she would leave the Inn and go straight to the hospital. Kouta still hasn't woken up. Doctors weren't sure if he ever would wake up and even if he did if he wouldn't suffer from this trauma as he had records of being held in a psychiatric ward for nearly a year due to the stressful situation of his family's death. There was a knock at Kouta's room door. Yukka had been dozing off so was startled by the sudden banging. She stood to open the door, but before she could answer it, men dressed in military uniforms stormed into the room.


	4. Warten

**Chapter 4: Warten**

"Who are you and why are you in here?!" Yukka cried as the large men pushed their way into the hospital ward closing the door behind them.

They looked down to Yukka with intense glares. Each one of them was dressed in a military uniform Yukka noticed. She didn't like this one bit.

"Get out of here you're disturbing his rest!" She yelled, but one of the soldiers standing closer to her glared at her and pushed her back into her seat by pushing her shoulder down with his strong hand.

"Sit down and shut up." The soldiers ordered.

Yukka's eyes began to fill with ears.

"He doesn't seem too bothered." The lieutenant offered, glancing to the distraught Yukka, who clutched her hands to her chest.

"In fact he doesn't seem very awake at all. I think we can fix that." The tall man offered, turning to face Yukka.

Yukka's brows furrow in confusion. The man leaned over and reached for Kouta's IV cords, and ripped them from his arms.

"No!" Yukka screams in horror at the man's harsh actions.

Kouta's arm began to bleed slightly from the needle being pulled so cruelly from his vein. Yukka jumped from her seat only to be caught by the soldier and forced back down, the back of her seat hitting against the wall. She sobbed as the lieutenant pulled Kouta's sheets back and pulled him over his shoulder. The boy limply hung, his consciousness still far gone since his ordeal. His vein had been cut rather badly, and caused blood to drain down his arm.

"You're going to kill him!!" Yukka screamed as she fought against the soldier holding her down.

Soon the lieutenant leaves the room, followed by the other soldiers. Yukka falls to her knees and begins to sob. She couldn't let them take Kouta, she had to save him, or else she would mean nothing to him. She'd never win against Nyu if this kept up. She had to stop them so she ran out the room. The nurses and doctors did nothing to stop them as Yukka ran out the room after them screaming.

The men climbed into a van, the lieutenant carrying Kouta, climbing into the back.

"No, stop! You can't do this to him!! He'll die! Why doesn't anyone stop them!?" Yukka screamed as the soldiers shoved her to the ground and climbed into the van, speeding away.

Others simply watched as the young man was kidnapped by the military officers. They did nothing to soothe the woman's hysterics.

"Kouta…" She weakly called as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

The day was hot and heavy with humidity. Yukka felt choked by her own clogging screams as they quickly became stuck in her drying throat. It seemed she was always left sore and crying for help. Selfishly screaming, as if a story book hero would come to save her, but her hero, the one she loved, was being taken from her yet again. What had she done to deserve such punishment? Such a harsh life?

In the same question, could it be easily answered or taken pity upon seeing the life a Diclonious leads? Persecution, abuse, use, death? The question stands to reason whose life is worse: the one free of abuse or the one full of abuse? That question cannot be answered because everyone has their problems, big and small.

Adjusting was hard. Lucy was quickly understanding that. She could grasp why Kouta cannot forgive her, but should that stop her from trying? She needed to find a way to apologize and prove to him she would never do anything like that again. She had to change, but sometimes changing was the hardest thing to do when you only ever had the easy way out. But isn't that how she got into this mess? The easy way out? She now knew there was no such thing. 'The easy way out' only brought her problems and has made her lose everything precious to her. She knew she could no longer trust hr instincts in this environment, because not everyone was out to get her.

What was this life though?

It did not take long for Mayu, Wanta and the horned Diclonious Queen to arrive at the empty Inn. Lucy stepped in and turned to face the old grandfather clock in the foyer of the inn. She climbed from the genkan as her eyes wandered around the shoji doors and wooden floors. It was cooler inside than it was out; she felt her body shiver with a sudden chill. Something caught her attention as she glanced off behind her, outside. It was silent; the neighborhood almost seemed dead, abandoned. None of the damage inquired by the shore side reached this part of town, but things were still eerily silent, not even the birds called.

"Lucy?" Mayu called for the third time.

Lucy blinked and blankly stared down at the young girl.

"You're going to let all the cool air out." She giggled.

Lucy nodded and closed the shoji door, following her in.

"Where is everyone?" Lucy finally voiced the question gnawing against the back of her mind.

Did she really care about everyone else though? In honest truth she only wanted Kouta, but without the others would Kouta laugh as much? Smile as much? Could she selfishly keep all his love for herself, or did others deserve to feel the warm of his laughter and smile?

"Nana is with her father. They want to fix all of the problems they caused." Mayu recalled.

Lucy lowered her head to Mayu's words. It was because of her? Mayu furrowed her brows. Wanta sat on the ground, looking up at the two girls, his tail beating against the wood floor in a rhythmic thumping pattern. Mayu realized but hours ago Lucy had been the cause of the problems they had been having lately…

"N-no! I mean, didn't you hear? The country was quarantined because of some strange virus being spread, something that was being developed by the military or something they said on the news." She explained.

Lucy knew what she was talking about. It wasn't any military. How much more suffering would this cause? Or perhaps this is what she needed to fix everything and make Kouta happy. It would take some time, but if she worked with the time she could make it so all Diclonious got along with humans. She would make it happen, because when humans and Diclonious got along, than no one could keep Kouta and her apart. Lucy was suddenly brought out of her thoughts when a deep rumbling sound penetrated the air. Lucy jumped at the sound and looked up, taking a defensive stance. Mayu giggled. The Diclonious Queen looks down at her curiously.

"It sounds like you're hungry, I'll go make something to eat. Yukka should be back from the hospital soon. She was visiting Kouta." Mayu noted.

Lucy became attentive when the sound of his name rang through the air. She watched as Mayu walked to the kitchen. Wanta sat staring up at Lucy a moment. The Diclonious looks down at the puppy. He yawns and lies down at her feet. Lucy scoffs and glances back over her shoulder at the door. She but had to wait for that woman, than she would know if Kouta was alright.


	5. Helfeschrei

**Chapter 5: Helfeschrei**

It had only been a day's travel until the van finally reaches its destination.

A small military base at the south end of the city served as the headquarters for the group in charge of direct dealings with Diclonious confrontations. The facility was in charge of research involving Diclonious effective weapons but with only recent and partial knowledge of the Diclonious species after the sinking of the laboratory, no advancements had yet to be made.

The van pulls into a garage at the center of the base. The men unload and call in a stretcher to assist in carrying Kouta. Kouta was carried toward the medical tent where he was laid out on a bed. The Lieutenant watched over as the medic was called in with his supplies. They were properly masked and gloved to create a semi-sterile environment. Kouta's shirt was cut open by the male nurse with forceps.

"Are you sure this will be alright, there might be side effects…" The doctor cautiously questioned.

It was known to work, but could often yielded unwanted side effects and could possibly do more harm than good to the boy. It was their only choice. He was the only one close enough to the Queen and could know her weakness.

"Do it." The Lieutenant ordered.

The doctor nodded and picked up a syringe from the tray of supplies. The syringe contained a drug called Zolpidem. It had the ability to wake victims up from comas and near vegetive state, but unfortunately side effects often included bouts of amnesia and hallucinations so would likely prevent the soldiers from getting the questions they wanted. The military medic wiped a alcohol covered gauze over Kouta's chest. The quickest way to get a reaction would be to inject it directly into the heart. They had a defibrillator standing by incase complications would create erratic palpitations in his heart. The doctor hesitated. He silently prayed for the boy's forgiveness if he inadvertently died from this procedure.

"_Make it to the heavens boy." _With that the doctor struck the needle into his chest, piercing his heart.

The monitors they had attached to Kouta flared. They picked up a minute increase in his heart rate and a noticeable spike in his nerves. It was clear he had felt the pain of it. They waited, and watched the EKG. It slowly followed along in a steady rhythm, but then suddenly, flat line.

"No!" The Lieutenant was in a panic.

He would lose his only chance before he even wakes the boy up.

"Out of the way!" The doctor demands as he and his assistants take to reviving the young man's heart.

It had been two hours since Mayu and Lucy ad returned to the inn. They sat down to a quiet meal. It was a bit unsettling for Mayu seeing Lucy so quiet. It wasn't something she was used to. The Diclonious had a distant look on her face as she robotically scooped bits of food into her mouth. Her mind was still struggling against that violent voice. Constantly taunting her and urging her to destroy everything around her. Lucy knew she needed to purge herself of that voice if she ever wanted peace, but how.

"_Kouta can help!" _The gentler voice called out to her.

Lucy paused in her eating, sensing something in the distance.

"Lucy?" Mayu softly called, notching the Diclonious' demeanor had changed.

Lucy glances past her pink tendrils and listens. "Someone is here…"

It was then that the pair heard Wanta bark, confirming that there indeed was a visitor at the inn. Mayu stood from her place and made her way toward the door. Lucy set her bowl down and stood to her feet. She had only made it as far as the grandfather clock before stopping to look over to the old time keeping device. In the old Japanese Inn it seemed rather out of place but she felt that it warmed the old place and gave it its own character. Lucy could hear the faint sound of the front shoji screen being pushed open and Mayu's warm greeting.

"Lucy!" The girl's panicked cry spurred the Diclonious Queen into action.

She turned and ran toward the entrance to find a collapsed Yuuka on the ground, her knees beneath her and her hands buried in her face. Her usually pale skin was flushed red and alight sheen of sweat covered her bare shoulders and chest. It looked as if she was running. Mayu stood at her side and stroked Yuuka's shoulders which were shuddering from the choking sobs that were exiting her throat.

"What happened?" The Diclonious questioned with her low voice. Yuuka's hysterics were commonplace.

She often overreacted to the littlest things, but more often than not they involved Kouta. The fire-haired woman knew something was wrong and was growing annoyed with the woman's inability to control herself.

"What happened to Kouta…" The young queen nearly _growled _out each word.

Yuuka slowly looked up from her place, her face stained with tears and her eyes puffy from her crying.

"T-these men…" She choked against her phlegm coated throat. "These men came to the hospital and kidnapped Kouta…" The young woman finally managed.

Lucy's expression fell into one of pure shock. Yuuka pushed herself to her feet with Mayu's help. The hysteric girl pointed to the teenaged Diclonious.

"It's your fault! All these bad things that are happening to him are your fault!!" Yuuka was at her limit.

She didn't care of Lucy could kill her without her even seeing it coming, but she had had it. Kouta always protected that monster instead of her! It wasn't fair! She was always with him and when this girl came all of his attention had shifted to her. Over time she did grow fond of Nyu, but she was infantile. The red-haired girl was helpless otherwise. Nyu depended on them for a while and was innocent and kind-hearted, but this wasn't Nyu anymore.

"You monster!" Yuuka pushed to her feet and charged Lucy.

"Yuuka no!" Mayu tried to stop her but it was too late.

Lucy sent out her vectors. The voice in her head was screaming to kill the traitorous wench that couldn't even protect something which belonged to her.

"_No, he'll be sad!" _The other voice called, and just at the last second Lucy pulled back her vectors and slapped Yuuka across her face so hard that the girl was sent out of the door and onto her back.

"It's because of people like you, pushing their problems onto others…" With those words, the Diclonious Queen suddenly pulled into the air using her vectors to pull onto the roof.

With one fluid motion she turned her body and pulled her body across the sky, using tree branches to force her way. Just as Lucy disappeared, Nana and Kurama rushed up to the inn. They look to see Yuuka sprawled on the floor, in dead silence. Mayu looked to them with a worried look. Nana knew Lucy had taken off. Kurama and Nana had just heard of the incident at the hospital and came rushing to prevent Lucy from doing something rash, but they were too late.

"I'll go after her!" Nana turned, before Kurama was able to argue her down, and the young Diclonious vanished into the canopy of trees.


	6. Entschuldigungen

**Chapter 6: ****Entschuldigungen**

All Lucy could see play over and over in her mind as she raced across tree tops and through the small town were the words he told her after she apologized with all of her heart.

"_I could never forgive you for killing Kane and father, no matter how much you apologize"_

The horrific screams of passersby down below at the sight of to Diclonious Queen, whose face was on every television screen, and every newspaper, went unnoticed by the red-haired teenager. The only thing on her mind was saving Kouta, at least it was what she struggled with.

'**Why would want to save him. He said he wouldn't forgive you. Just let him die, along with the rest of these pathetic animals. All they do is beat and hurt you.' **The darker voice in her mind still loudly rang between her ears.

Even after everything that dark voice still sought to take everything from her. She didn't want it anymore, she didn't want this instinct, if it was even as such.

"_Leave her alone! We have to save Kouta because he saved us! He still cares about us!" _The kinder voice tried to fight back, but she was no match for the darker one who had been there since her birth.

Had she been there since birth? Lucy wondered as she dropped to the ground in the middle of the sidewalk. Many people screamed and ran away while others were too shocked to move. Only her left eye was visible beneath her long, red bangs. She glanced over to the electronics shop she had stopped in front of. News flashes of her destruction still played over the news, warning people that she was a monster and should be avoided at all costs.

She watched as the images replayed the brutal destruction she had promised never to do again. There was so much blood. She looked to her hands, as the frightened people simply watched her movements, as if at any moment she would tear their heads off.

The Diclonious lowered her head. A woman screamed in horror as her son got away from her and ran over to the Diclonious with a discarded tree branch that lay among the still present debris from the disaster.

"Bakemono!" The child yelled, readying to strike Lucy with the branch, but to his shock and the horror of the pedestrians, the branch splintered into pieces.

Lucy slowly turned to face the child. He fell to the ground in fear ad tears welled in his eyes, having regretted leaving his mother's side. Lucy looked up to see the woman struggling against two men who fought to hold her back.

The boy closed his eyes and lowered his head, preparing for the worst as the monster loomed over him.

"Akira!" His mother screamed out, straining her voice with the force of her cry. Nana dropped down from the roof.

"Lucy no!" The pink-haired Diclonious called.

The people were surprised to see her attempting to stop the older looking monster, but did nothing to intervene, in fear of their own lives.

The boy felt something wet fall on his bare legs. He opens his eyes, seeing water dripping down from above. He looks up to the young woman. Tears streamed down her face as she looked down to the boy, silent sobs racking at her body.

Nana, as well as the pedestrians were surprised, even shocked by her sudden sorrow. Lucy dropped to her knees and pulled to the boy into a hug. He had not been expecting it so did not know how to react, and began to flail. He slowly relaxed when he felt her crying on his shoulder.

The people slowly dropped their guard. How could this be the same monster they were showing on television? The images they showed, were of a creature with no emotions, no compassion, no mercy, but here in front of them was the same creature, or at least one that looked like it, crying, sobbing, full of sorrow.

"I'm sorry." Lucy sobbed. "I'm sorry!" She said in desperation.

How could she make the humans understand? T his was the only way she knew how to interact with them: through tears. She cried when she met her first tragedy. She was crying when she first met Kouta, and she was crying when he told her he would never forgive her, but in the same instance, he had saved her, with tears upon his face. She didn't know what she would do if Kouta were to die, but at the same time, she didn't know where he was. He had always found _her _ad protected _her. _Why couldn't she do the same?

"Please…I'm sorry." She cried into his shoulder, begging for forgiveness.

The boy looked around, the adults were just as confused. The young boy hesitated, but hugged Lucy back. She fell completely to the ground, her sudden movement shocking the group, gasps and murmurs of concern. Was the young woman alright? The crowd began to gather, Nana slowly approached.

"Lucy…?" The young Diclonious called out to her.

Lucy had pulled the young boy into her embrace, holding him there; apologizing to him, like she could not do to Kouta back then. If she had apologized back then, would he have forgiven her, instead of lying to him all this time? It was like lying, never telling him, holding it to herself.

"Ne… come on onee-chan." The boy wriggled a bit.

Lucy slowly released him from her grip and he stood up. His mother immediately pulled him toward her and embraced him, kissing at his head. He was unharmed.

"Lucy?" Nana's voice called again as she slowly stepped toward the older Diclonious.

Lucy had her head lowered, still sitting in the middle of the street. Police had been called in panic by one of the onlookers. The sirens of the police car and SWAT van could be heard as they raced up the street.

The sounds of that cars and people became distant hums in the Queen's ears.

It was too late for these people, that boy. Lucy could tell they already had the virus. She could feel it buzzing silently within their bodies. She couldn't save them anymore than she could save Kouta.

'_Just listen! He's calling for us!' _The softer voice cried out.

"**Fool! He hates you!"**

The second voice taunted, malice dripping from each word she spoke. She faintly hears the sound of Nana calling her name. Her presence caused the soft buzzing against her horns to intensify.

_Kaede._

An unfamiliar name.

A name she had long since forgotten.

Lucy's eyes snap open. Nana freezes and looks up, feeling it as well.

"W-what was that?" The pink-haired Diclonious fearfully said.

"Kouta!" Lucy leapt at her own words and took off like lightning, launching her Vectors at a violent rate, pulling toward the feeling. It took a moment before Nana could fully realize what had happened and in that same moment she raced off after Lucy.

Lucy could feel it. It was Kouta. He called her, but how?

'_He called you!' _The other voice cheered, the dark one sat in silence, seething in its own rage.

Lucy could feel tears threatening her once again.

He had called out to her, he needed her.

"I'm coming Kouta!" Lucy cried out as she came upon the military headquarters.

The Diclonious Queen landed in front of the gate, her eyes shadowed over by her long, red bangs. The two Military Police at the entrance had been surprised by her sudden appearance and held up their rifles.

They recognized the girl as the very monster the Lieutenant was after. Lucy took one step forward, and in their fear, the MPs opened fire on the teenage girl.

'_Kouta.'_


	7. Verarbeitung

**Chapter 7: Verarbeitung**

Lucy could feel it. It was Kouta. He called her, but how?

'_He called you!'_ The other voice cheered, the dark one sat in silence, seething in its own rage. Lucy could feel tears threatening her once again.

He had called out to her, he needed her.

"I'm coming Kouta!" Lucy cried out as she came upon the military headquarters.

The Diclonious Queen landed in front of the gate, her eyes shadowed over by her long, red bangs. The two Military Police at the entrance had been surprised by her sudden appearance and held up their rifles.

They recognized the girl as the very monster the Lieutenant was after. Lucy took one step forward, and in their fear, the MPs opened fire on the teenage girl.

'_Kouta.' _The sprays of bullets were easily deflected with the Diclonious' vectors.

Kouta screamed in agony as the defibrillator forces his heart to reset. With no sedatives Kouta could feel every shock of electricity running through his body. He could feel his mind blacking out as the fire cut through his muscles. The drug that had been forced into his system was reacting adversely.

"Idiots! If you let him die so does our only chance to stopping that Diclonius woman!" The lieutenant shouted at the doctors as they frantically tried to lower Kouta's blood pressure.

"It's no use we can't—" The doctor tried to stay calm but the situation was getting worse.

"Sensei his core temperature is rising!" A male nurse called in panic.

"Quick get him into an ice bath!" Sirens went off in the base as alert carried across the grounds of a red-haired female who has been identified as the Diclonious Queen. "We just needed more time!" The doctor shouted.

The lieutenant cursed as he turned to face the doctor as he and his team dumped Kouta's feverish body into the ice bath in attempt to reduce his core temperature. With the drugs coursing his system they weren't sure how his body would react to any more treatment.

The MPs scream in horror as their rifles were twisted up into useless heaps of metal. The red-haired Diclonious silently made her way into the panic ridden base. Massive tanks roll into the open, bent on thwarting the woman's approach. Before the deadly machines could open fire, Lucy pulled her vectors back and pushed them flat against the ground. The ground cratered where the numerous vectors landed and the force pushed her into the air. To those around it appeared as if the Diclonious was flying.

"B-bakemono!" A frightened soldier called out.

"S-shoot her down!" A ranked officer ordered.

In an instant all guns were ablaze, aimed directly at the lone Diclonious female. Each and every bullet was scattered and sent to the wind, many would launch back down to the ground by the vectors nearly taking out nearby soldiers. Lucy's goal was set. She could feel Kouta calling for her.

'_He's in pain.' _That darker voice within her mind called.'_They should all die.'_

'Iie, I don't want that.' Lucy thought back. She had made a promise she would not break it again. She had to save Kouta and…and…

"What's going on?!" The lieutenant shouted as the medical machines began to overload and suddenly explode.

"I-I don't kn—gah!" The doctor was thrown back by an unseen force straight into the tent's walls.

When the tarp teetered and fell over from its place it collapsed onto the machines, smothering them before the material itself burst into flames. The lieutenant struggled to escape but the choking smog quickly filling under the tarp and hearting electrical fires were spreading quickly.

Nana had finally caught up to Lucy. The short-haired Diclonious dropped to the ground just outside the facility. The young pink-haired Diclonious gasped in shock. Tanks were turned over and soldiers lay unconscious through the panic. Fire raged across the base as medics sought to collect the injured. As far as Nana could see no one was dead, but that did not change the fact that Lucy was still rampaging. It would do their situation no good if she continued like this.

Far off, several miles off the Hiroshima shore, a helicopter cut across the skies just above barren ocean. A small collection of naval ships accompanied the helicopter just below in the frigid waters.

"Is this the place Professor?" A masked soldier asked as he stood at the helicopter's entry way, tightly fastened as his body perilously hung out.

On his shoulder sat a large thermal scope. Professor Arakawa had been instructed to lead the small division of military personnel to where the laboratory had originally stood.

"H-hai, j-just below here." The Professor nervously indicated. Even from so far away she felt chills burn down her spine at the thought of all those horrible experiments that she had witnessed down here.

"The submarines are picking up a large underwater distortion, it's likely the sunken laboratory." The chopper pilot called out as he held his hand against the ear of his helmet.

Arakawa swallowed as a lump of fear gathered in her throat. She leaned over slightly, peering out of the opening. The violent winds whipped her hair against her pale, slightly dirtied face. She carefully pulled up her glasses as she peered out from a pair of binoculars watching as the ships neared the edges of where the labs once stood.

"There's a problem." The pilot called back to the two passengers. The soldier and Arakawa look up at the man in confusion. "They've detected a lot of radioactivity out there. It's all leaking from some unknown source." He explained.

"R-r-radio activity!? There shouldn't be anything like that down there!" Arakawa said in panic as she looked out into the sea.

"They can't do any more, they have to call in Cleaners for the time being." The pilot noted. Arakawa slumped back and sighed, her glasses slipping from her forehead onto her nose.

"We don't have time like that…" She mumbled to herself as the soldier pulled himself back into the helicopter and removed his fastenings.

'_Radioactivity. Were they perhaps using it to…no such levels of radio cavity that produce mutations would kill humans, and Diclonious were a near match on the genetic level…than what?' _Arakawa's thoughts were soon interrupted by a massive explosion on the surface of the ocean. The helicopter took a sharp dive in an attempt to evade the blooming arch of fire and debris.

"W-w-what happened?!" Arakawa panicked. The pilot gasped in shock as he steadied the chopper.

"One of the naval ships was just launched into the air!!" He responded with disbelief lacing his voice, though he had seen it with his own eyes. The massive steel carrier was launched into the air, inadvertently splitting the vassal in half before it was engulfed in a fireball.

"W-what's going on…?" Arakawa was in a panic. There had been only one other time she had seen such power, and it scared her to death when she realized the possibility.

The flames smothering the tents quickly jumped building and carried across the base. Standing in the shadows of the flames, in the center where the tent once stood was a figure dripping wet, the red-hot fire rapidly melting the liquid, causing steam to fill the air.

Lucy came upon the blazing fire; the sound of his voice was coming from here, this spot.

"Kouta!" Lucy cried in desperation. She could not see anything past the fire and smoke as emergency personnel struggled to put out the growing flames. "Kouta!" Lucy cried with more anxiety.

'_He's left you.' _Her dark voice tried to convince her.

'_He would never! You can hear his voice!' _Her kinder side shouted back, trying to force the unnecessary darkness back into the abyss from whence it came.

"Kouta!!!" Lucy strained her voice, shouting for the one person in this world she truly loved.

It was love, wasn't it? It was not a simple need to mate and procreate. It was not merely a means to survive. She wanted to be by his side, even if he hated her. Lucy felt her body shake as it was wrecked with sobs.

_Lucy._

Lucy froze and looked up through the blur of her tears. She looked around, but could not hear anyone, instead she felt someone. It was a familiar ringing sound in her ears.

_Lucy._

The voice called again. Lucy looked up into the flames which seemed to part as a flickering shadow pushed through the licking tongues that reached temperatures that would easily burn human skin clean off the bones. This feeling that touched Lucy's skin and rang in her ears…

Nana gasped and dropped mid-jump onto a nearby guard tower.

"A…another Diclonious?" The pink-haired teen said in shock.

Lucy felt her insides shaking in anticipation. Since the incident the only other living Diclonious she knew was Nana, yet she recognized this call. The figure stepped from the fire, completely nude. Lucy could see how the flames deflected from his body with the vectors alone. He had long, prominent horns. The Diclonious Queen nervously touched at her slowly growing horns, which had been cut once again in the fray but days prior. They grew back faster each time, so she knew she would not be without them for long. She felt as her hot tears cascaded down her cheeks. The figure stepped from the fire and stood right in front of the teenaged Diclonious.

"Kouta…" Lucy choked out as she pushed from her feet and jumped against his body, holding him tight. She bushed her face against his naked chest, the ringing call almost deafening her with his power.

"Kouta!" She cried against him, the sirens in the background fell into a numb silence as they stood still in their own world. Lucy shivered when she felt Kouta wrap his burning arms around her shoulders.

Emergency personnel rushed about, putting out fires and rescuing the injured. Soldiers gathered around the fires where Lucy and Kouta stood embracing, weapons poised to take the two demons out.

Lucy looked up to Kouta and smiled.

"I'm sorry…" She said through her choking sobs, Kouta looked down to Lucy and shook his head.

He pulled her flush to his chest and glanced up at the soldiers, who aimed their weapons at the girl whom he felt a foreign new bond to. It was a bond he had once felt long ago as a child. This rapid, untold change had only strengthened that bond, and a strange need to be at her side.

"It's okay, Lucy." He whispered her name, causing the Diclonious Queen to collapse in his arms with a relieved sigh.

Nana stood afar and watched as the soldiers surrounded the two. "No!!" Nana cried out as the base commander raised his arm, preparing the order to fire.


	8. Heimkehr

**Chapter 8: Heimkehr**

Lucy looked up to Kouta and smiled.

"I'm sorry…" She said through her choking sobs, Kouta looked down to Lucy and shook his head.

He pulled her flush to his chest and glanced up at the soldiers, who aimed their weapons at the girl whom he felt a foreign new bond to. It was a bond he had once felt long ago as a child. This rapid, untold change had only strengthened that bond, and a strange need to be at her side.

"It's okay, Lucy." He whispered her name, causing the Diclonious Queen to collapse in his arms with a relieved sigh.

Nana stood afar and watched as the soldiers surrounded the two.

"No!!" Nana cried out as the base commander raised his arm, preparing the order to fire.

The soldiers opened fire on the pair. Lucy was content. If it was to all end like this, in his arms, she would be happy. She could not find the strength to call on hr vectors, his strong presence brought a pain to her body, a different sort of pain, one she had not feel since the day she met him. It hurt her so good, just a fantastic indescribable love. Nana fell short of her run as the spray of gun and tank fire hit their mark. Nana sunk to the ground, now barely supported by her arms.

"No…Lucy how could you…?" Nana chastised in her sorrow, but her eyes widened as her body tingled familiarly.

She looked up as she swallowed the lump that gathered in her throat. When the dust and smoke cleared all those around could see the couple still alive and well, but now standing amidst a pile of spent shells and other ammunition. Nana's face turned to shock at the sight. Though the humans could not see, she could clearly feel where the vectors hovered both Lucy and Kouta, and they were not Lucy's vectors.

Kouta's vectors were considerably longer than even Nana's who, currently, held the longest range aside from the Queen who had proven she was the most powerful of them all. Lucy looked up to Kouta with her loving gaze. Kouta smiled at Lucy and brushed his hand through her fire-red hair. She felt his fingertips graze along the tips of her horns. His gaze was full of understanding, and protection. Her body hummed with the feeling of his presence, as did his. Kouta looked up and glared at the soldiers. They backed up fearfully at his presence. He had horns and it was clear there were more Diclonious than they had originally thought. Kouta glanced over to Nana and smiled warmly at her as he took Lucy's hand and led her away from the base. The base's general rushed to contact headquarters after the fires that had quickly swallowed the base in chaos, died down. The news spread quickly among officials, as did panic.

A meeting was called at the UN concerning the quarantine over Japan. It was a dismal atmosphere. The virus was airborne and would completely infect the world in a matter of hours. These Diclonious, as they were called, though looked human were anything but. They feared it was truly the end of humanity. With no vaccine and the new development of a Diclonious male appearing, no being born from someone who was once human, had come as the critical blow against humanity's fate. Professor Arakawa was called in to read over the details gathered from the male specimen. The meeting room was in panic. Voices of varying languages carried throughout the room as the Professor made her way to the podium.

"Please…" Arakawa called out. "We have to calm down, the virus cannot turn humans into Diclonious, t-that's a misconception!" Arakawa looked up as the voices began to slowly die down and all attention focused upon her.

She stammered nervously but swallowed and shook her head. They were doomed no matter what they did, even if the virus could not turn humans directly into Diclonious males infected are sure to bring Diclonious children into the world. Arakawa sighed.

"I cannot explain exactly how this young man has evolved from human to Diclonious, but it is possible that due to his near continuous contact with the Queen he somehow—" Her efforts to explain were quickly interrupted by one of the delegates.

"Hold on!" Arakawa nervously looked up. "What do you mean evolved? Aren't these Diclonious some sort of genetic mutation caused by a damaged body?" The male delegate asked. Arakawa looked down to her papers and sighed. Normally that would be the case.

"Normally…yes." She began. "But these genetic mutations are so uniformed that they have become encoded into the Diclonious. They are human, make no mistake but their brains have become so highly evolved that—"

"Highly evolved?!" Another shouted. "They are nothing but violent and destructive abominations!" He asserted as other delegates chimed in to agree.

"Violent creatures with no sense of guilt!" Another shouted in rage.

"Y-yes but…" Arakawa could not find a way to answer that. In truth humans… "Are we any different?" Arakawa said aloud and suddenly brought the bubbles of speech to a dead halt. Arakawa looked up and shook her head.

"Are we any different?! Wars, murderers, technology invented for the sole purpose of killing each other! I have seen… them cry, is that not a human emotion? We look down on them, but in truth… we've already lost. The virus is spreading and soon all of the next generation will be born Diclonious if we cannot cure the infected. We…we're losing to our own hatred, our… own evolution." Arakawa could no longer take it. She fell to her knees and began to sob. She could faintly hear the delegates begin to argue and shout.

'Abominations to God.'

'Dysfunctional monsters.'

Could they not see? Could they not understand passed their own pride? If humanity could not change, this would be their end. The question now was would the humans adapt to this new enemy or will the new enemy overcome human nature? They were doomed it seemed, perhaps there was hope… somewhere in the ruins of the laboratory that once stood tall against the evolution.

"_But then if we deny nature, are we cursed to die here, and now?" _Arakawa thought pitifully as she listened to the delegates rise one by one and vote to annihilate the Diclonious by any means possible.

"Yuuka!" Mayu called as she came running up the stairs toward Yuuka's room. Outside Wanta could be heard barking excitedly.

Mayu knocked at Yuuka's bedroom shoji. The young woman had closed herself into her room after she was once again unable to save Kouta, or stop that horrible woman from interfering. Yuuka looked up when Mayu pushed her shoji door opened.

"They're back!" The young girl called excitedly. Yuuka gasped and pushed to stand, but then she stopped.

"Yuuka?" Mayu wondered aloud. "What's wrong?"

Yuuka shook her head and turned from the young girl.

"No… I won't come down, I refuse to welcome her back." Yuuka bit out jealously.

Mayu furrowed her brows sadly. The young girl took another moment, but she than nodded and left Yuuka to herself pity. Mayu could not understand why Yuuka was so upset; perhaps she was ashamed that she could not help? Mayu felt guilty for being useless as well, but she did everything she could, didn't she? Though Mayu doubted herself she still bravely made her way downstairs as Kouta, Lucy and Nana walked into the Maple Inn's entrance.

Kouta helped Nana support Lucy's exhausted body as they staggered into the entrance. They looked up to see a tearful Mayu. Kouta smiled, as did Nana.

"Tadaima…" Kouta said with a smile.

Mayu's eyes shifted up to Kouta's horns, but at the moment she didn't seem to care. She was just happy everyone was together again.

"Okaerinasai…everyone." She laughed happily.


	9. Versöhnung

**Chapter 9: Versöhnung**

Existential risk: this was the term used by those who had a hand in suppressing the Diclonious threat, but in the end their own fear had made what was the next step in human evolution, succeed. At the ruins of the laboratory a naval ship had been launched not the air. According to the scanners there was a thermal pocket that was created when the building collapsed over the radioactive spot and created air pockets over what was believed to be a geothermal hot spot, but they had only been partially right. One of the sections of the laboratory had created a massive air pocket which allowed several Silpelits to survive the explosions. Cameras and sonar from the submarines occupying the waters during Lucy's rampage were able to capture the Silpelits helping one another to escape. When they did the remaining section of lab sunk to the sea and was swallowed into a thermal geyser which later erupted. The Silpelits had long since escaped before the radiation could begin to affect their bodies. Learning of this panic swept through governments. Arakawa was summoned to face the UN's cameras once more.

The young researcher had gotten her wish to become a real scientist, but at what price did her selfish wish come? After the ship erupted she was returned to land to continue her research on the vaccine using what she could still remember from Professor Kakuzawa's research. To think Director Kakuzawa had been a Diclonius himself all along. He was the head of a company, a successful man. Did that mean Diclonius were truly no different from man? But unknown to Arakawa Kakuzawa was delusional. The old man was no Diclonious, but just an indulgent human full of fanciful thoughts of raising up to become an omnipotent deity who wished to rule a people he had not bothered to understand. Kakuzawa's plans, whether they were now failed or would have succeeded, had placed the entire world in jeopardy, but from who: Man or Diclonius? For the past two hours Arakawa sat at her desk staring at her computer screen as a blank document sat open, waiting for her to act, but she could not. It was than they had called her. She was, at first, reprimanded for her original argument of the young man who seemed harmless only to become a Diclonius. He had disappeared from the care of the military hospital after two female Diclonius raided the base. Their accusations arose from the testimony of several surviving eyewitnesses. Of these not burned to death in the fire, there were many who claimed the red-haired female who was the original instigator to the calamity had charged into the base and attacked several soldiers and destroyed millions in equipment.

"You assured us that Kurama's words could be trusted. He claimed that the Queen no longer held a threat! You agreed! You claimed to hold a means to cure this disease! And now we have discovered that there are more of these things roaming around, escaped from the facility **you** worked for!" The head orator accused as Arakawa sat in front of the array of monitors, each holding the face of a positioned speaker of the UN.

Arakawa sat in a closed off room of one of the only remaining business offices that were still running in Kamakura. They were in charge of the finances involving the repairs that were to rebuild the city and controlled the largest restoration revenue in the entire coast-side town. How dare they blame her for any of this, she who had only wanted to, by any means necessary, reach her dream? Perhaps this was her punishment for attempting to use the death of Professor Kakuzawa, for her indecisiveness, and for her shameless acceptance in fear for her one life, which she now understood outweighed the many that faced this trial, for it was not turmoil. Is that not what it meant to evolve? It was merely a fanciful word to describe change, development. In the end it was all the same thing. To become something new, one needed to cast away their old lives and as nature has proved over the millennia of its existence those who were unable to meet the demands of change would die and become mere memories in the sandstorms of time. Arakawa pushed out of her seat with enough force to knock it back several inches. She slammed her palms onto the table, effectively silencing the accusing leaders.

"I assured you that no one knew the Diclonius better than Kurama did." She bit out through clenched teeth. "I told you that I lost everything and will most likely be unable to recreate a vaccine! I told you that we're screwed! There's no way to stop it now! If what you say is true and the Diclonius from the lab have been freed than we have lost our only hope!" The delegates looked to each other than to the panting professor who was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"What do you mean?" The leader asked with fear and curiosity swirling in his deep voice.

Arakawa choked back a sob as she fell to her knees and held her face in her arms against the tabletop.

"You idiots. That boy was the only one…" She sighed deeply and slammed her fist against the table. "The females that escaped the lab are unlike Lucy or Nana. They are more aggressive and more actively hunt." She sighed out as she weakly pulled to her feet, bracing herself against the table. "Instead of harmlessly infecting humans with the virus they kill them with prejudice!" She finally finished, to everyone's horror.

A heavy silence hung across the monitors and the occupied rooms. Because they had been so preoccupied with trying to find a way to kill the one Diclonious they had not prepared themselves for others beyond Kurama's daughter and the young boy who had exceeded all previous expectations of the mutation.

With all of their money, and all of their progress, their invention, their culture, beliefs and ideals seemed to be all for naught. As humans they were unable to accept the existence of life other than their own. Since the dawn of man they have persecuted those that differed from them, and killed those born with significant mutations to their natural state. But what was a natural state? Could such superfluous words be used to describe something as simple as hate? An emotion so base, so primitive that when we see it mirrored in another being that looked, walked, talked and lived with us we found ourselves in the right when we deemed their shameless natures as perverted, or their inability to understand ownership as savage. We have killed our own for less.

Back at the Maple Inn the group had sat down to dinner. It was a strained moment as a tension hung in the air that carried from Yuuka to the rest of the inhabitants. Kouta was still unsure about things, especially about Lucy. As he sat with his bowl in hand he tried not to concentrate on the low, omnipresent buzzing in the front of his mind. He found himself continuously looking toward Lucy who had changed into a familiar pink dress. It was awkward watching the young Diclonious eat with only her right arm present to assist her. Yuuka shot daggers at the queen, whom she felt did not belong after everything had happened. As the older human woman ate she also found herself sadly looking toward Kouta. He had horns now. He was a monster like Lucy, but perhaps he would be more like Nyu and Nana, but even so could she be with him now in his state? Humans and Diclonious were different, not only in presence, but thought. What else could they differ in, the young woman thought.

Though Kouta still held feelings for Lucy and Nyu, his Kaede, he still felt unable to forgive her for what she had done. In that sense he felt no right to love her when he still felt animosity toward her, and this other odd feeling bubbling from within his stomach.

"Kouta?" Mayu called for about the third time before Kouta blinked and looked up to her with a curious smile that covered his sullen feelings. Lucy had paused in her heating to look at Kouta with worry and Yuuka merely glanced up before returning to eating. Kouta shook his head and set his rice bowl down and his chopsticks in their proper place.

"It's nothing." He pushed his feelings away for the time being. He could not think straight at the moment. He was still exhausted from everything that has happened thus far. "I'm just tired. Thanks for the food, excuse me." He pushed to his feet and left the dining table and went upstairs to his room.

Lucy watched him as he left, unable to take her eyes off him. Kurama had come by to pick up Nana soon after they returned home, something about a business trip. Not that ht young Queen cared, that would mean she would not have to take care of her annoying little relative that she has become so tolerant of. Lucy murmured the same phrase as Kouta, excusing herself from the dining table. Mayu smiled as Lucy pushed from the table and followed the same path Kouta walked. Yuuka felt her rage boil over as she slammed her rice bowl onto the table, startling Mayu who looked over to her in worry.

"Yuuka…?" Mayu tried to question in concern but Yuuka pushed to a standing position and huffed.

"She no longer belongs here. That hospitality was only reserved for Nyu, who is dead." She harshly bit out as she stormed off, but not before she grabbed her jacket, and head out the front shoji.

Mayu sighed and frowned as she continued to eat. She hoped Yuuka would felt better about the change. It was new, and it would be different without Nyu, but wasn't Lucy the same person? She thought so, she honestly thought that Nyu was just a little bit of the Lucy she was starting to know, and perhaps more. They would feel better soon, she was sure. She needed to be strong and keep smiling like Kouta, and keep on with her own strength so they would have someone to lean on.


	10. Zweifel und Wollen

**Chapter 10: Zweifel und Wollen**

The tiny table sat in silence since Yuuka had stormed out. The fire-haired Diclonious Queen had her hand settled between her legs, her left stump hidden beneath the sleeve of a shirt she wore taht seemed to be Kouta's. The queen's rice bowl was half eaten, the grilled fish untouched. Mayu and Kouta silently ate their plates, unable to find the words to console the young Diclonious. Even Kouta was finding the situation unsettling. One moment he found himself embraced by a warm light and ready to plunge into the depths behind his father and sister. Kouta could feel the soft hum emanating from the newly sprouted horns on his head. Though not as fantastical Ny-Lucy's once were, they were noticeable. They were a soft ivory color, somewhat darker toward the base closest to his skull. His black hair was gently pushed aside to allow for what was a purely natural growth for a Diclonious. The horns were obviously not just hallow keratin that grew out from his skull. He could _feel _them. They tingled and he could feel the warmth of his own hair as it brushed against the hard forms that curled back slightly. Kouta held his bowl of rice in his hands, his chopsticks had stopped part way to his mouth. His soft brown eyes slowly drew up toward Lucy who had her head hung in self pity. Just across the table sat the murderer of his family, and who knows how many other people. He knew that though he was obligated as a human to forgive her, being human he could not turn a blind eye to the deaths she had caused and heartless murders she had propagated around herself, but now... He felt drawn to Lucy. A sort of guilt. It had been his inability to realize how much she had truly needed him back then. It was in his ignorance as a child, did she suffer.

Mayu and Kouta looked up when they heard Lucy shift and push to her feet. The Diclonious Queen excused herself, her voice barely above a murmur. Lucy's bare feet padded against the tatami mat floor as she crossed the eating room, toward the Inn's entrance hall. Kouta and Mayu could do nothing but sadly watch the sullen figure. As she weaved out of sight, swallowed by the darkness of the hall, Kouta could not help but feel an ache in his chest and a strange sensation against the nerves of his newly sprouted horns. Among the worries of his anger and guilt, he was racked with questions as to how he was able to grow horns. Had it been because he lived with Nyu...Lucy for so long? Yuuka did not seen affected, neither did Mayu, but he had a much longer relationship with Lucy above anyone else. Perhaps it was this that had tainted him?

Tainted.

Such a cruel, uncaring word. It was no disease, or affliction. How could he possibly even _consider_, _think _it? Nyu...Lucy... she would never purposefully, and intentionally harm him. He was in fact, not harmed. If not for her he would perhaps be dead and though he still could not forgive her selfish actions in the past, he still cared for her at present. That was something that could never change. He had learned early on in life to hol d fast to those close to him. In the blink of an eye everything he knew, his family, even his memories, were stripped from him, by the very person that he took care of. Though she had once left his side long ago, if only to protect him, she still had owed him much, a stirring voice in his chest prodded. They owed it to those they hurt to repent and make this world anew. Kouta set down his rice bowl and stood to his feet. Though he doubted if he held any consoling words for Lucy, he wanted, more than anything right now, to stand by her side.

"Excuse me." He murmured as he too pushed to his feet and followed the very path Lucy had walked into the Inn's entrance hall.

The diclonious queen stood silent in the darkness of the pathway. The moonlight did not reach passed the thick clouds that had accumulated from the battle prior to this moment. The sounds of sirens had become drone in the background, no longer a concern to the heartbroken, mentally cornered Queen. She stared up to the face of the grandfather clock that awkwardly stood out in the ryokan. Even so, the western antique was still at home in the small inn. Lucy felt a strange attachment to the device. It signified so many events in her new life which was slowly being whittled away from beneath her feet. She reached her right hand up to brush at her left arm. Her hand blindly grasped at the air in frantic. She looked over to the limb in surprise, only to recall it was no longer there. Even though her left arm had been decayed by her overwhelming powers he still felt the arm moving about. She wanted to touch the phantom limb so badly, rub away this sensation that ran through her nerves. When she grasped at the air again, she had finally grabbed hold of something solid.

She had not immediately reacted. The queen slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder where Kouta now stood. In her thoughts she had not felt Kouta come near, lost to her own, sullen agenda. Her dark eyes slowly motioned down to what her hand was holding fast to. It was Kouta's hand. He had reached out to her frantic motions, if only to give her something to anchor her waning heart to. She examined carefully how their fingers intertwined and silently wondered if she could truly find a means in which to fix everything she had done wrong before the world sought fit to take the queen's life away, or even before the queen herself considered doing it as a favor to the ones she cared for the most.

Elsewhere, in many parts of the world's government, had fallen to panic. With the viral infection spreading, and no cure in sight many had quarantined their states, towns and villages from the rest of the world. Others demanded the remaining Diclonious to be captured and shipped off for testing to create a vaccine and house them for research purposes, only to start the heinous cycle all over again. Kurama worked to stamp out these prejudices and had found a few supporters who sought to give the Diclonious rights, but they stood against the world and doctor Arakawa who had been given grants by several governments to renew her research on the vaccine which only she had been able to produce.


	11. Verlust des Glaubens

**Chapter 11: ****Verlust des Glaubens**

Yuuka had not gotten far from the quiet little inn. The dark-haired woman had lost her will to flee but part way out of the courtyard's path. She settled into stepping out onto the sidewalk and leaning up against the wall of the inn's property. How could she behave so childishly? She cared a great deal for Nyu, though she knows little of this_ Lucy. _If she was honest it was not that she hated Lucy, she was Nyu, wasn't she? Yuuka was mostly disappointed in herself. She stood against the stone wall and looked down the empty streets. The quiet inn held a distasteful uneasiness about it. They kept the supposed harbinger of death in their lives, but even as the young diclonious was blamed, not once had Yuuka ever seen Lucy act with malice, if she though well of it Lucy's behavior was reminiscent of a mother bear and her cub, albeit a very dangerous mother bear that could take down fighter planes. Nothing to make light of, but Yuuka had allowed her emotions to take over and she failed to see how her behavior may have been effecting the others who suffered just as much, if not more.

She had been heartbroken by her own inadequacy, pained by her own failures. She had taken it out on Kouta who seems so excepting of his change, but in truth he probably did not know what to think. Certainly at a time like this, with the world in disarray and the countries confused by these new, clearly dangerous inhabitants. Lucy and Kouta needed her support. She loved Kouta with all her heart, and if he accepted this Nyu, so could she. Yuuka sighed and leaned her back against the rough sandstone wall. Her arms were crossed behind her back and gave support to her back as they crossed over. The rough stone rubbed almost painfully against her soft skin, but it was easily ignored in her current state of mind. She was being selfish, and a jerk. She should apologize to everyone for her behavior, and honestly ask Kouta the truth of what has happened to him. Regardless of what had, or will. They were her family right now, and for the current occupants this was the only family they really did have. Yuuka had a mother, a father, a cousin to turn to, but they had nothing. Kouta had few memories of his past with Yuuka, many only just returning, Lucy had no parents to speak of. No one was sure where she had come from. Mayu, though she had Wanta, had only Kouta and herself to look up to for role models.

"Yuuka!" A familiar voice called.

Yuuka was shaken from her thoughts. the sounds of the approaching individual had been all but muted by her distant wondering. The light-haired woman turned her head to see the familiar form of Nozomi. Yuuka was in awe for a moment. Nozomi had been severely hurt the last they had seen her. They had sworn she would be unable to ever use her voice again, but Yuuka was happy this was not the case. The black haired woman smiled at her friend, only for Yuuka to offer a sadder, but equally welcoming expression. Nozomi wore a long black skirt and a white blouse where she wore a tan jacket over the shirt. Yuuka pushed off the wall and rushed to her friend, quickly embracing the familiar face. It had been the first good thing she had seen all week. Nozomi was okay, and she could speak.

Back in the command center, which has been set up in the Kanagawa Prefectual Office in Yokohama: the capital city of the Kanagawa Prefecture, they continued their mass efforts to create a front specially designated to exterminate and control the Diclonious population. The first man called into this meeting was formally of the Special Assault Team, whom were armed with specialized weapons to defeat the Diclonious threat. Bando, who was the only surviving operative that had contact with the Diclonious Queen on several occasions, had been called in. He sat in the center of the room with eyes all on him. The heads of the committee had been whispering among themselves for several minutes now, compiling their questions for the 30 year old operative whose body was majorly reconstructed with bionic construct parts. The intimidating man sat lazily in his seat. One arm was lazily stretched over the back while his legs awkwardly spread beneath the table's top. He wore a pair of dark shades over his eyes and carried a sneer on his face. He honestly had no choice to come. He was still contracted to the group, but he'd have to be insane to accept some suicide mission. Seeing as they wanted to go after Lucy, he was sure it was suicide. That woman was scary because she had people she wished to protect and didn't seem to mind killing for.

"That's the scariest kidna person...tsk." bando muttered as he looked up to the confused faces of the panel.

They had asked him, while he was idle in his thoughts, would he accept leading the newly founded Diclonious Task Force, or DTF, and help eliminated the Diclonious threat.

"I said this is bull." His statement forced gasps from the surrounding delegates which consisted of Mayors and other heads of state. "I've seen what this Queen is made of, personally. I had my arms shattered by her and eyes gouged out by those powers of hers. Even with the anti-Diclonious weapons, you're no match for her. Hell we even sent a small army with Anti-Diclonious weapons and every last one of us were taken out by her." Bando slammed his hand onto the table and pushed to his feet.

"You idiots think you can fix this by throwing more men at it? More weapons? More death? Have you ever once considered all of this is bullcrap is useless? I know I ain't gunna risk whatever's left of my life ta save your-" Bando's choice words were chimed out when a sudden klaxon of alarms went off int he building and what sounded like several emergency vehicles raced down the busy streets of Yokohama.

The Yokohama Maritime Museum stood as a sign to Yokohama's role as a great international port, but currently it was seized by chaos. From the Toyko Bay, in front of the maritime museum building, rose several hundred forms of nude, masked women from the depths of the sea. The silver metal masks of armor they wore were , which glittered against the evening sun, looked cracked and scarred as if they had been crudely beat against with rocks and other crude tools that created blunt force. Their bodies were a sickly color and they would weave and totter as they padded bare feet against the cold concrete surface that surrounded the museum's property. For moments they had been watched in silent awe by visitors and natives alike. The diverse Yokohama Prefecture allowed the oddities to roam as many more perverse watchers took pictures, others filmed the strange event and many turned their eyes from their naked forms. It took only one trigger. Someone within the crowd had thrown a rock which collided with the metal masks. The group of women came to a halt. Their heads hung low, assumed from the heavy metal helmets. Another, a man, grinned and picked up a loose pebble from the grassy knolls. He pushed from the crowd and pulled out his arm to throw the stone as hard as he could, but the moment he pulled his arm back it continued to pull back until it ripped from his socket and a blood curdling scream ripped from his lungs. For several seconds the crowd stood in shocked silence, at least until a girl, holding hands with her boyfriend became the next victim. Her head exploded with a monstrous form, sending grey matter splattering across by standers. Terrified screams broke out and the humans became to stampede to safety, not taking care to others around them that stood in danger. In a matter of minutes the entire city had erupted into chaos when word of Diclonious invading the city spread. At the Prefectual Office the officials had locked down the building to prevent anyone, especially other humans, from entering. They feared the possibility of infection so quarantined the building and set up rooftop watch with anti-Diclonious weapons.

"We cannot let anyone else in!" One man called as their voices seemed to rise in octave with their fear.

Bando could not help but chuckle at hismelf at the ignorance these "officials" had. Little did they know Bando was infected by the virus, but to prevent losing his life he was forced to surgically removed the one thing that made him a true man. The virus did not spread from person to person, the fools. When the lights went out in the city, the current state of emergency became drastic. People began looting, many begin crushed in the streets by hordes of their own kind as the slow, lumbering Diclonious followed the induced chaos and fed on the dead bodies. They had been without nutrition and ate what they could find. They ripped into the flesh with their vectors and tore into the meat as best they could with their blunt teeth. They had no sense of existence other than survival. They were clones born in vats deep inside a laboratory and were not taught to socialize with these foreign creatures. They knew not from right or wrong, only to kill or be killed. They only had one another and the faint call of their queen, but they could not go to her as they were, no. First they had to strengthen their bodies and population. Though they would not be able to have proper offspring, they could spread their genes through the men.

Pregnant women that did not carry the Diclonious Gene were killed by the hordes of bright-haired creatures. The masks that once concealed their faces now revealed their features which were as diversified as the natives themselves. The unborn were torn from the mothers' wombs and tossed onto the ground, which left behind unsettling scenes of horror that would not be forgotten for ages. Men were quickly infused with the Diclonious gene, which humans called a virus. Indeed the gene had many properties of a virus. It entered its host and seeped into the already present cell walls where they would multiply their own building blocks of life, eventually killing the host cell and spreading, creating genes anew. The images filmed by the shaking hands of amateurs were posted all over the internet and television stations. Images of the Diclonious consuming human flesh ravenously as people fought over the acts being held as cannibalism or predation. They had lost sight of what was truly happening.

Bando could feel it, that animal instinct. It was not a sensation one would forget those cold eyes glaring through your soul as if you were nothing more than a sickly animal that was fool enough to step before the lion. The diclonious were like lions, no like wasps. Whatever they came down upon would suffer a needless painful death. Wasps were the murderers of the animal world. They would kill prey and predator alike for the sheer reasoning that you exist. The weapons were no match for the Diclonious' sheer number. They swarmed the Office and tore their way in. They skillfully used their vectors to tear off limbs and remove heads from their enemy much in the manner one would twist a grape off the vine. When Bando heard the first official scream and those screams turned into strangled chokes... he knew that it was only a matter of time until he was next, and it was something he had come to accept.

Bando sat and watched his desk with interest as he listened to the terrified screams of the officials. One by one heads of state and mayoral officials were slaughtered like lemmings over a cliff. Soon his table was surrounded by the nude forms of several Diclonious women, five he counted off-hand. Their naked bodies were covered in blood, breasts smeared with hand prints as their struggling victims sought for any weak, exposed flesh to gain some sort of advantage and flee. Bando chuckled at his fate and wondered if he no longer had a place in the world, after all saving one girl cannot erase the slate of sin one carries like a mountain on one's back. Perhaps, he thought as their cold eyes bore against his tan and scarred skin, that there was no God.


	12. Ich Vermisse Dich

**Chapter 12: Ich Vermisse Dich**

Yuuka wiped her eyes. "Oh Nozomi, I've been so worried." It was heavy on the girl's shoulders. With everything that occurred, there was only so much a human could take before breaking down. She had seemingly lose Nyu, whom she had genuinely loved and cared for. She had been unable to protect Kouta, something she had set out to do; she wanted to keep him safe from loss and pain ever again, but it seemed to be something humans were destined to suffer so long as they wished to covet. Yuuka cried into Nozomi's embrace. Her friend held her close, a soft smile on her face. The musically gifted human brushed her hand along her precious friend's back.

"It's alright." She gently assured, though frowned herself. The news painted a different picture. Nozomi had been there when the DTF first set out with their Diclonious destroying weapons. It was not the Diclonious who was the vicious killer, from what she could see, from what she witnessed. It was the humans that attacked them while they were at home...eating. It was indescribable the inhumanity, and the fear she held from that event. The young singer could no longer be held to eat while sitting. She feared deep down, it would happen again. She had to be ready to run if this were the case. Her body no longer felt at ease siting, and eating at the table with her family.

The Kanagawa Prefectural Office in Yokohama was in ruins. The entire city was in chaos. Thousands were left to suffer as their escape was blocked off. The government sought to quarantine the area with tank blockades. The Diclonious did not seem to attack unless provoked, never wandering near the tanks, but the humans were not as smart and in panic tried to push through the military to escape the chaos which was slowly dying down. Those people were shot and killed, if only to stave off the panic, as many of the soldiers feared infection. Little was the public aware that the virus was airborne and those left unaffected simply could not safely carry the virus and were consumed by it, slowly breaking down their DNA, leaving them open to auto-immune deficiencies.

Many of the Diclonious had sauntered into the Prefectural Office. Inside nearly all older men that stood no chance to passing on healthy young were killed on the spot, those already infected were left to flee. Bando waited and watched. The Diclonious surrounded him. They felt he was infected, but he would not be able to pass on their DNA. The large, gruff man looked around. Watching as they prolonged his life. They were probably going to rip him apart piece by piece. The Diclonious, did not though. They could sense their queen's influence in this man. Was he her chosen? The hum of their hivemind flickered as they weaved the weight they carried upon their feet. Bando looked up, stupefied. Were they...letting him live? Maybe they were mocking him for being only half a man. He scoffed, fingers twitching and itching to reach his gun, but he was no idiot, they would probably yank off his head given the chance. These weren't anything like Lucy. They were viscous and didn't seek to be left alone, they were quite the opposite. They wanted to be seen, be known, but why? Bando took a chance, and stood. He waited for them to act, but the Diclonious merely turned and left the building, their duty not cast. The large, light haired male clicked his teeth on annoyance. He turned and made his way after them. He had to find out what was really going on and if these Diclonious were really linked to Lucy. Was she controlling them, isn't that what a 'queen' did.

Back at the inn Lucy shook her head at Kouta. How could he treat her so when she was a monster and has taken everything in his life he has ever loved? Even now she took his humanity, but how was it he turned Diclonious? Males could not, no one could simply _turn_ into one. They had to be _born_, but if that was the case, why Kouta? Lucy turned herself to completely face the male. She could feel what was left of her horns lightly humming, but it would take weeks for them to fully heal, until they grew back she would be unable to feel Nana and Nana would be unable to feel her unless she was close. She tried not to, but could not help to think about Nana. Was she alright with Kurama? Could they be trusted, the humans... she tried not to care about Nana. She desperately tried to close off her emotions. Lost in the deteriorating thoughts of her depression the sudden touch to her skin made her jump. It was not the grip of Kouta's hand in her own, but the press of his face to the crook of her neck.

_I haven't forgiven you, but I can't hate you._

The young man murmured against her smooth, lightly tanned skin. Kouta had no idea, held absolute no implication of what those words did to her. He _didn't_ hate her. It was her greatest fear. He was the only one that stood by her, the only one that _**never**_ betrayed her. He had always done what was best for her, either of her. _Kouta..._ the sweeter voice buzzing in her mind called, the darker one beaten back by the flood of emotions to fill her. Kouta stayed there a moment, taking in Lucy's scent. She smelled of blood, but there was something else there. It was a smell that brought him to his past: the smell of pine trees and grass. It reminded him of the place they had first met. The touch of moss reminded him of the day he brought a smile to her face.

Kouta would smile against her skin. "Come on Ny...Lucy, you need a bath." The young queen was nervous still, even with his admittance of not hating her, she wasn't Nyu. She wasn't who he wanted. She would try and gently tug away, but Kouta held strong, firmly to her remaining hand so he would not be parted from it, not again. He smiled. "It's okay... it doesn't matter what name you go by, you're still here with me." She was still her, it wasn't any different, he was sure in his heart. Lucy was still hesitant, but she nodded and let Kouta led her upstairs.

Yuuka and Nozomi entered the Maple Inn, just missing Kouta, as they made their way to the kitchen where Mayu was cleaning up. Mayu turned to face the two women. "Yuuka!" Mayu happily called in the midst of drying a dish. The young human woman smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry for my outburst Mayu, I was feeling a lot of the pressure from the last few days really crush me." She felt horrible for acting that way, so selfish. She needed to grow up and be strong for Kouta. Mayu smiled, just happy to see her back, and Nozomi!

"How about I put on some tea?" The young girl offered, to the women's delight.

In the small town things slowly settled, even with a Diclonious queen in their midsts. Many had come to blame the army for attacking their town with no reason after learning she had lived for years without incident within the sleepy area. A person was smart, able to understand the difference between good and evil, panic and well thought out situations, it was when you had people things became stupid. Men were ignorant and panic stricken creatures in groups. They were no better than a stampede of wildebeest racing across an open Serengeti from the fangs of more organized lions and hyenas.


	13. Herkunft

**Chapter 13: Herkunft**

Kurama and Nana were flown to America by a section of the Japanese government that wanted to truly solve this problem. Many were already aware it was too late to stop the virus, but maybe they could control it. Kurama was the only living authority on Diclonious behavior, birth and growth. With Nana he was to travel to the United States and plead their case, plead to the United Nations and appeal to them the _positive_ nature of Diclonious and perhaps work on a way to simply accept this not as a curse, but a blessing. It would be the only way they could stop war. Japan would stand to be the target once again for a fate the rest of the world thought they should pay for housing these creatures, but little had they known it had been their fault, as humans. Diclonious were not native to Japan, they were native to the world. Small pockets of Diclonious were found living and mingling among everyday man. They were not found in small, native population or in jungles. What had struck the nail deepest was they were only found within cities, metropolis, megapolis and the like. Through man's advancements, through his achievements, he gave birth to the next generation, and like Cro magnon and the Neanderthals, the Diclonious would destroy Modern man as they would be able to survive the next great shift in this world we call out home.

Nana sat beside Kurama on the plane. The young, pink-haired had told him about what she felt from Kouta. It was almost the same hum she got from Lucy, but it was so wild. Kurama was confused. From all of the data they had gathered on Diclonious they knew, hundred percent, that they could only be born female. After he had learned the leader of the research center: Director Kakuzawa was male Diclonious he had tried looking into his family registry. According to the information he was the son of Anna Kakuzawa who also had a daughter, but it says she died at birth. It seems Anna was deceased so there was no way to get information from her. In the end he had hit a wall. He had no proof one way or the other if that man was a Diclonious, so there was the slim chance, possibility. In truth Lucy knew. She knew that man to be a fake, his horns a simple _human_ mutation born from radiation from man made weapons of war and mass destruction.

But the main question on Kurama's mind: were there more Queens or was Lucy the only one, and did that mean she was key to everyone's survival? If so, they were all screwed because Lucy resented life and all that inhabited it.

Said queen currently sat in the bath upon the washing stool. Her short, shoulder length hair rained over her face, cheeks red as a look of bliss momentarily replaced that scowl of trepidation she had carried for all these days, these days... it was incomprehensible how many days, how many lifetimes she has lived for this day, this kind of acceptance. She had come to learn the many faces of man and his mask of hatred. It was easily shattered by the ones of selfishness and desire which he too carried, but in context those expressions of man were far more representative of the positive nature of their race. With their selfishness they learned to love and possess that which they loved: protect it, covet it, nurture it. They too desired to be loved and sought to make those around them happy, but these two base instincts could also be used to destroy and give birth to more hatred.

But none of that seemed to matter now as she could only feel the firm brush of the washing cloth against her back. She would never be washed clean of her sins, but it did not make this ritual any less meaningful. Kouta sat behind her on a stool in nothing but a towel. Yuuka used to do this for her. She felt a pang in her chest at the thought. Yuuka had been mad at her, hated her. She, at least Nyu, had come to love her like a friend she had once lost, or like the older sister she needed so long ago. Maybe they would never bathe together. The queen softly moaned at the feeling of the cloth washing away her anger, her angst, her worries. Maybe this was why humans spent so much time in the washing room. In a lifetime they could spend over a year and a half of just being in here. She gasped out softly, inhaling the rich steam that filled the wash room. The cloth had brushed over her small chest, but the thought behind the action was a bit more than casual, her instincts would think.

Kouta sat behind her and took care to was down her back, sides and beneath her breasts. He had lingered there a bit, unsure of why he had even suggested it. Well thinking on it the answer was obvious: he wanted to be alone with her, somewhere quiet, but that answer left him wondering why. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, startled by the new forms upon his skull. That was right, he had horns just like Lucy, at least they were sort of like hers. They were thick, long, almost like an oryx's horns: straight yet curled slightly. Kouta was brought from his thoughts when the hand lingering at her breast was gripped.

Fool, had he overstepped his bounds? But Lucy was never like that. She never seemed embarrassed, or ashamed by her body. It was as if she merely existed without the false pretenses humans always seemed to carry when they walked down the street in their suits, kimonos, masks, feathers, and decorations. Lucy was just Lucy. Of this he was left with no doubt. The Diclonious queen moved his hand from her breast and pulled it down, with no resistance from Kouta, and allowed his hand to trail down her more sensitive sides: her muscles jumping against the feather light touches. The young, hornless woman, moaned when she placed Kouta's hand to rest between her legs.

Would he allow her selfishness, she wondered. She flinched when Kouta's forehead touched upon her wet back. The queen let out a soft cry when his fingers began to move. Was it wrong to want his attention? His touch? She only wanted him closer, so what better way than to touch him against the very place that seemed to burn with passion when he was near?

They say love is a wholly human emotion, but what do you call it when animals mate for life, even seem to mourn at the loss of their partners? Is love just not enough of a word? Does it mean so much to humans that they believed they were the only to experience it? Of course love, for everyone, is experienced differently and one cannot simply deny another creature with the capacity to choose life partners or a one night stand. There is something more, something unseen, for love was merely a word: a human invention, but the _act_ it self has been along perhaps longer than man and they just wanted one more thing to own: the very act of desire, in and of itself.


	14. Fegefeuer

**Chapter 14: Fegefeuer**

Kanagawa lay in ruin. The streets ran red with the blood of the innocent as they stood powerless to stop the Dilconious. The Military abandoned their posts. They knew none of their weapons could ever penetrate the _magic_ that surrounded the masked women that weaved naked through the streets, their feet soaked in the blood and bodies painted with the splattered organs of those they chose to victimize. Their breasts were smeared with the grey matter of men who could not flee fast enough, their hands were soiled by the tears of the women whom's heads were crushed in the vice grip of the Diclonion vectors. Fires spread through the city as the Military had lost all hope in quarantining the event. How do you isolate death? Was it a whim, or a conscious decision made by a god fearing man? For there were those who saw this as a punishment from god.

It was not only in Japan, but in other parts of the greater civilizations the disease gripped the world in a panic. There riots broke out and murder and rape were rampant as everyone sought to pass their untainted seed, without knowing it was already too late. Those in charge continued to lie if only to stay in power a bit longer as the world they knew crumbled beneath their feet, for it was a shoddy tower of lies to begin with, so when the truth flooded beneath its legs, what hope did it have to stand on its own? They all knew the virus was airborne. They all knew there was no cure.

There were those who sought to greet the end of the world by taking what they did not need. There were few that turned to their god with open arms and waited for it to come, but than there were those who spent that time, as they always had: side by side with their loved ones. Could you hear it? The last song played by the band as the boat of this life sank to the bottom of the sea, never to be heard from again. The stories of grandeur, the pleasures of antiquity, the solitude of dementia all danced in a never ending waltz, drenched in the blood of the innocent, spilled by the innocent. Who was man to say these Diclonious: born of their games of god, were unclean? They shared the same blood, the same love for life, and the same feral instinct to protect it at all cost.

Who-?

All over the world the fire and blood that swallowed Kanagawa were shown all over the world. It was the last known aired newscasting before eyes turned to gaze upon the true state of the world. It was a vision of hell on earth, it was everything they had ever come to expect. Rape, murder, theft, the slaying of babes and the insanity of men. This was no tragedy. This was the end of the age of man. Many knew this was to come. This was the Rapture many spoke of. According to these words: the worse was yet to come. Purgatory had arrived on earth.

Kouta sighed as the Queen's hand ran over the small, ridged curve of his horns. They were still a mystery to him but they brought him closer to Nyu...to Lucy.

_Kaede._

Kouta opened his eyes. They had fluttered closed on some point. The heat was once again obvious. His lungs struggled to fill, he must have been holding his breathe, as if to shut away this feeling she filled him with. Her naked chest was pressed to his own, and though he would, he _should_ feel ashamed, he did not. It felt so natural to sit skin to skin, the Queen straddled in his lap as they sat soaking in the heated water. He does not quite recall how they reached the water, but it was soothing against the cold-sensitive skin. His hands would run down her back, while her right hand would trace along his spine, sending shivers down to the end of his tail bone and shooting up his most sensitive male organ.

_Kaede._

That was her true name? The name he should call or by? No it was the name he should know his Queen by, and he would be the only one. He no longer sought to answer why he had horns, but was now curious as to why he never did before. This felt amazing. He was no longer connected to those _human _senses, but his more _primal _urges. He would struggle for air as he felt his queen touch him _**all**_ over. Her vectors would tease his flesh and her closeness would warp his mind. His body was no longer his, it belonged to his Queen.

Her lips taunted his heated flesh, pressing all over his face, as her hips began to rock forward in a rush of instinct. Just for a little while, the Diclonious, wanted to be a human. What was more human than being totally connected to the one you loved? To hunger for them, and consume them in both body and soul was the closest to human she would _ever_ come. "Kouta." The queen called out, brushing her tongue along the shell of his ear. She was desperate for touch, taste, sight, sound to all melt into one sensation, and she got her wish. In one smooth motion Kouta thrust up, the water around them rippling against the force of the action, some spilling over the edge of the tub. For a split second: everything went black for the queen, than it became clear.

She was one with Kouta, and would never feel alive ever again.

For a time their thrusts were mindless, primal and full of pleasure rather than the idea that _this was to procreate_, but soon it became evident. With the shared knowledge that it was a wonderful feeling that surpassed no other, they soon found themselves pushed against the instinct to _breed_ and _create_ life. Soft, rhythmic grunts escaped their mouths as flesh met against flesh and more water sloshed carelessly onto the ground. Her stumped arm pressed against her king's shoulder as her good arm wrapped around behind his head and twisted her fingers through his thick, wet hair. Lucy felt her body cascade over an invisible cliff. It was like everything in her life held no importance above _this_ event. Her body stiffened as she exhaled, the sound pouring from her in a sharp, almost pained moan. She felt Kouta moan into her neck and fill her with the essence necessary to carry on a new generation.

The two sat there staring into each others eyes. The water had since run cold.

They knew there would be no turning back...


	15. Durcheinader

**Chapter 15: Durcheinader**

The entire plane ride Kurama sat in his seat on his laptop. He had managed to gather nearly 60% of the years of data gathered on Diclonious from his old research lab, but unfortunately more than half of it was encrypted, the last percentage of data was lost when the facility was all but destroyed upon Lucy's escape. He had worked for weeks on decrypting the data and restoring classified sections to the best of his knowledge. On the trip he had also been gathering data on Kouta.

It was difficult to keep a signal as it seems with the chaos that ensued on the earth below, so did fall the infrastructure that man was slowly losing his grip on. Nana had gotten up from her seat and went over to her father's side. She sat at her father's side quietly, the look that had come upon his face was something she did not recognize. Was he troubled? Kurama had been shocked, even horrified the find almost nothing more than Kouta's family registry. He was a normal boy, that had a normal family, and did normal things, at least until one day, many years ago.

Kouta's family was murdered. The boy had witnessed the horrifying murders and seems to have suffered psychologically. He had taken years of therapy and as part of his rehabilitation he had to leave his home and go off to school. It seems that was how he had come to live at his current address at the Maple Inn. But something did not add up.

Kurama has known Lucy for many years. He had tracked her for many years, and had come to realize because of the trauma, he alone, had wrought upon the innocent girl's form, she would have become reclusive. She had become hateful of all other living creatures, than why would she come to this boy, this mentally unstable boy and choose him to be her king? What made her choose him? If Diclonious picked individuals anything like animals they would they not pick healthy, stable mates?

What was it about Kouta that shielded him from the Queen's hate, the Queen's rage? Why did Lucy trust him?

There was also the fact of the matter that there was no such thing as male Diclonious. How did Kouta grow horns? Of all their years of research not once was a male Diclonious born or discovered. Female Diclonious seemed to use their vectors to infect healthy human males with some sort of virus, but was it really a virus? Yes indeed the vectors seemed to do something to the DNA that it was infected with RNA strandsDNA could not recognize as a foreign body. They have no way to explain how in fact the Diclonious virus is able to do this, but it was something they sought to coven for with RNA one could overcome disease and sickness for RNA can copy and behave much in the way DNA does, but without the-

Kurama blinked. Was that it? Instead of the virus infecting Kouta, was his DNA merely changed. DNA was like pandora's box. It held every imaginable combination of commands from growing fur to growing horns, it was merely a matter switching them on and off. If the Diclonious could create RNA shelled virus structures, than certainly they could use their vectors to manipulate life down to the molecular level.

"Lucy did something like that..." Nana's voice rang through Kurama's ears, knocking the older male from his thoughts. Kurama looked to his screen. He was running simulations trying to figure out how they use their vectors.

"Nana?" Kurama questioned.

After helping Lucy dry off Kouta led her to her room to rest after they were dressed. He tucked Lucy in her futon and turned to walk out. "Kouta?" The Diclonious called.

Kouta had slid the shoji doors open and looked over to Lucy with a warm smile. "I'll be here when you wake up. Don't worry." He touched the horns against his head. He felt her presence and would never be parted from her again. Lucy nodded and closed her eyes.

Kouta slid the door closed and made his way down the hall. Kouta could barely make it before his horns began to buzz in longing. He groaned and pressed his back against the hallway walls. His hand gripped against his chest as he let out a shuddering gasp. His legs weakened under him as he slid to the floor. His mind, ever since that incident all those years ago, had gained the trait to mentally block off all traumatizing events to occur to him. He could not remember what happened after the hospital. He could vaguely remember being moved after being injected with something.

His hand reached down over the spot where Lucy had repaired his injury. He was unaware how it was she saved his life, but she did at the cost of her own strength. He could feel it in his horns. She was weakened and his body buzzed, warning against leaving her helpless and alone. Mayu made her way upstairs with the clean laundry. She looked over and saw Kouta against the wall.

"Kouta?" Mayu called as she padded to his side. "Kouta?"

The young man blinked and looked over. He smiled warmly and pushed to his feet. "Oh, Mayu, do you need help?" He offered. Mayu blinked, but smiled and shook her head.

"It's okay Kouta, h...how's Nyu- Lucy was it?" She worried.

Kouta nodded and smiled. "It's okay. She's fine. She's sleeping for now." He felt torn. He needed to take a moment to think, but he could not willingly leave her side.

So many questions, so many problems. Why did he have horns? What was the state of the world now? Where was... "Yuuka?" Kouta looked to Mayu who smiled.

"She and Nozomi are downstairs." Mayu offered. Kouta smiled weakly and nodded. He patted Mayu's head and made his way toward the steps.

While they stay sheltered in the Maple Inn, the world fell into chaos as more and more Diclonious popped up around the world, though it was merely rumor as the only Diclonious were found upon the island of Japan. The world fought to stop the end of the world that was already being brought forth by their selfish actions. They merely sped up the process.


	16. Ein Ungluck Kommt Selten Allein

**Chapter 16: Ein Ungluck Kommt Selten Allein**

Something far worse followed the Diclonious' rise. Death and murder were rampant, but so was sickness. Many governments sought to fight against the Diclonious onslaught by releasing sterilization chemicals into their country's sources of drinking water to kill the Diclonious virus. Many of these chemicals, like Ortho-phthalaldehyde, which has caused deadly accounts of anaphalyxsis and skin stained a sickly gray, which caused much panic. There were also countries who can not afford the expensive, protein based chemical solution, and turned to Hydrogen Peroxide which was even worse as it causes organs to shut down and depending on the length of exposure, the respiratory system is effected, causing the lungs to fail.

Many groups have gone as far as forcefully castrating men and surgically removing a woman's ovaries. Many men would die from blood loss, others would commit suicide from the forced loss of their defining sexual organ. The violence was immeasurable. Many highly religious cultures would go as far as turning to genital mutilation by burning and cutting.

Crops were burned out of fear the food had been infected, animals were killed of the same fear. Hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of livestock, millions of people's livelihoods were slaughtered as the earth was fed in a pool of blood.

Crowds of people poured, throughout all countries, from their cities, towns and homes to find a means of escape. In Japan, as they swarmed from Tokyo and the surrounding areas, to Hanenda airport a balloon floated out from the crowd as a shout escaped into the air. "This has to be a lie! No!" The voice was clearly male. The crowds parted and murmured as men in white full face masks, which vaguely resembled an iconic figure of western movies, holding signs pushed through the crowds. In Japan, North America, and Europe these crowds of masked men were found protesting, even praising these tragedies.

_We saw it coming!_

The signs read.

_The twenty-first law has come to fruition! The world ends, again!_

It was unsettling for many. Others would ignore the troublemakers, they who had no name, and had one face. They would march the streets of the world, and spread their terror. Death spread, but while the many panic, the few would spend their days happily with family.

Bando spent his time trying to understand. He followed the shambling Diclonious females as they left the government office. He had concluded that after, what was almost a full day, he would need to give, sleep. These things never seemed to stop, never seemed to need to eat. He would sigh and shuffle to a stop. They had wandered into the woods, the male had no idea why, and by this time he really didn't give a damn. He pushed his back against a tree and looked out into the burning city. All of Kanagawa was engulfed with fire for there were few men brave enough to stay behind and fight these devastating flames, eventually they had no choice but to abandon the city and watch it burn to ash, the black smokes filling the skies, and charring the clouds black.

When Bando saw this he could only sigh. What a sad state the world had brought upon himself. Had he not seen the eyes of his infector, had he not seen into the eyes of the Diclonious Queen, both eyes: that of her happiness and that of her rage, he would have never understood what it meant to want to _live_. He thought he lived, but seeing this and living through this he knew this was his punishment for blindly wasting life and destroying it rather than preserving it.

When he sat himself at the nook of a tree's gnarling roots, the Diclonious female too, stopped. He blinked and looked up, peering through his sunglasses, of which he never removed, hiding his shameful scars and stupid past from the world. The former Soldier would blink. Were they...waiting for him? He chuckled. If he was the old him, he would have easily dismissed it. They wanted him to follow it seemed, but why? He supposed they weren't just mindless drones after all.

"It's a damn shame." He would chuckle, knowing that if he tried to run, or something stupid they would likely take him out rather than go through the trouble they are now to bring him back, wherever that was, alive. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled wrapper that held a half-eaten chocolate bar. The man would sigh and eat the rest of it. He would need ever ounce of strength to get wherever they were taking him.

Back at the Maple Inn Kouta made his way downstairs after finally forcing his mind to settle, though his horns still buzzed in agony. When he turned the corner, two familiar faces looked up from the dining table, where tea was set out.x

"K-kouta!" Yuuka nervously called, not too sure as to what to say. The horns on his head, they were unsettling. Was Kouta even human anymore? It didn't matter though. Regardless of how he looked she could not change the way she felt about him, but had she still a chance? She of course had no idea of what had occurred between boy and Queen. The young man could not look his cousin in the eye. He rubbed the back of his head, but said nothing. Yuuka wanted toe reach out, but the pain of cowardice burned in her heart. She had done nothing to help him and even now she could not fine the strength to apologize and admit she had done _anything_ wrong.

She believed she did everything she could to help Kouta, and had made the right choice to try and keep him close to her. Lucy, though she may have been gentle toward Kouta, had killed so many people and caused so much terror in what was supposed to be a peaceful life. She missed Nyu and wanted her innocent friend back.

Kouta was about to open his mouth, but Wanta began to bark loudly. The small group turned their heads. Nozomi began to worry the teacup in her hands, this bringing back memories. It had taken a lot of convincing for Yuuka to get Nozomi to sit down, but in that instant the young singer was back on her feet and moved backwards until her back touched a wall for safety. Yuuka turned to her friend to reassure her, but Kouta suddenly took off running.

"Kouta wait!" Yuuka turned back, calling in vain. All she could do was watch him grow up and mature without her...


	17. Widerspruch

**Chapter 17: Widerspruch**

Kouta made his way to the Inn's entrance. Lucy was still sound asleep upstairs, soothed by the presence of love in her life, but it was not something that would last long, for there was always someone looking to take the happiness she fought long and hard to earn. Kouta stood outside, the sight of his horns causing those present to flinch. Standing before the you male was a number of armed officers. Word has spread, and quickly. The young Diclonious male had escaped from Military. The officers were able to quell much of the looting in town and had come to the home the male was said to occupy. Many was shocked, even hurt by the rumors. That family had such a troubling time when it came to relatives, now one of them was infected? Little did they know the majority of them were as well, so their whispers showed little more than their ignorance. The young man stood with a proud stance, but his face did well to shatter that illusion of bravery.

Even if he was physically different, mentally he was the still the quiet, non confrontational person he had always been. His brows had furrowed and arched slightly in concern. The edges of his lips were tugged down with a troubled frown. "Can I help you?" He chastised himself when his words came out sounding more meek than he had wished. Nothing seemed to change being a Diclonious. He was still quiet and easily troubled by his own worries.

The armed men were all fully armored police units and the weapons they had were no ordinary firearms, but the kind brought to take down hardened criminals or gangs. In the front of the group of men was a Military officer, one which Yuuka recognized. She, Nozomi and Mayu stood at the Inn's shoji doors. Wanta stood beside Kouta, growling at the gathering of dangerous strangers on the property that has become his home. The tiny yellow dog would whine and sit, looking up at Kouta.

"You're a slippery fellow, to think you destroyed an entire military outpost on your own." the military officer chuckled as he removed his sunglasses from his tanned face. It was obvious he was of a mixed heritage.

"What?" Kouta remembers waking up amidst fire and wreckage after falling asleep to the feeling of being carried somewhere. He thought it had been a dream. It was so surreal that it could not have been what had truly happened. He wouldn't believe he was some sort of danger to others. His eyes searched the ground, unable to look at the man in the case that it was true. A sound of sarcastic chuckling caused Kouta to snap his head up, his dark hair shifted against the curled horns on his head.

Many of the armed officers had jumped at his motion, distraught by the sight of horns atop his head. He had become one of these monsters already? Weren't they putting themselves at risk just being close? It had been the military that told them to stay away! Many of the men began to slowly realize too, the panic slowly gripping the group of heavily armed men.

"Hey!" Kouta called, tired of the military officer's dark reprise of mocking laughter and stares. Why were they looking down on him? From the window of the second floor a shadow melted against the curtains. A breeze would reveal the fire red hair of the Diclonious Queen who silently watched with a sharp glare. Why could they just not leave her to peace and leave her family be? They couldn't be at peace so long as they stayed.

That was it.

Leave. If they could not find their place among mankind than they should simply leave. Of course Yuuka, Mayu and Nozomi were exceptions. They were _her_ family. Nana was with her family, so why should they have to stay among these hateful beings?

Without warning the commander threw up his hand, ordering the officers to open fire. He has been scared, down right startled when the boy stepped forward. He had seen him to the hospital on the base. He was sure the boy wanted his revenge for what he had ordered on him. Those drugs, whatever what was in them, most likely encouraged his disease to spread. To become a monster like that and have such fierce power. Though many craved it, he would never want to be cursed to look like some demon for this unbecoming source of power.

"Kouta!" Yuuka screamed out in horror as a veritable waterfall of bullets rains toward her precious cousin. The young woman squeezed her eyes closed and turned her face away. Nozomi couldn't believe it! How many times! They were a nice family, even if Nyu was... Nyu had never done anything to deserve this, in her eyes. If anything Nyu would have a right to be angry! Nozomi pressed her hands to her mouth when she gasped out at the horrifying sight. Mayu had crouched on the ground, Wanta having ran toward his dearest person to cower, even perhaps protect her. Mayu hugged Wanta to her chest and buried her face into his fur. When the clicks of empty barrels were heard the officers would look up, only to find their spent shells scattered on the ground around them.

Lucy watched them her vectors twitching with the need to infect them with the virus, but she would not want such a thing. Men like they did not deserve it. She looked to Kouta and could easily see, no _feel_, his vectors stretched out over the officers. She knew he would never kill them out of his kinder human nature, something all humans seemed to lacked, yet believed it a quintessential part of their being.

The officers shouted and jumped back when one of the rifles were bent, split and skewered through one of their chests. Kouta blinked and looked up as Yuuka shouted out. Lucy turned her head up. That had not been Kouta's vector...

Suddenly, from around the corner of the Inn's gates, swarmed in a small number of masked Diclonious. They weaved and lumbered onto the property, killing anything they got their vectors on. Kouta had to act quickly. He turned and looked to the girls.

"Get inside!" He would hurry them. They would hesitate a moment, but knew they had no choice. They all ran into the Inn and closed the shoji doors, but little time would that buy them. The small, mismatched family raced to the upstairs where Lucy stood in the hall with her hand pressed to her chest. She was clearly worried and rushed toward Kouta, happy to see him well and alive. She wrapped her arm around his body and pressed her face into his chest.

"W-what's going on?" Yuuka stammered, unsure as to what just happened. They were like those things before, but why here? Why again? Lucy would murmur and turn her eyes up to Kouta, the Diclonious Queen suddenly losing her bravado before those she knew. Would they believe her? Trust her, after all the wrong she had done?

Kouta nodded and patted her back. "We can't stay here, those women... they're not like Lucy or Nana." They were no longer safe, they had never been safe. What made them think they could simply hide in their home forever while the world around them fell apart? No: they would leave. They needed to find a new home, a safer place, perhaps even hide out until they were no longer so feared.

Would the prejudice stop in a world full of one species of man? Or were they fooling themselves of a Utopia that could never exist so long as any man ruled the earth?


	18. Weglaufen

**Chapter 18: Weglaufen**

They had no place to run, or hide. The hands of the lumbering Diclonious clones had forced through the paper coverings of the shoji door. Their vectors left clear scraping marks along the wood of the door until it splintered and gave in under the weight of the horde. The collapsed into the genkan and Kouta could do nothing but put himself between the girls and invaders.

"Kouta!" Yuuka tried to urge him against the idea of standing up to these mindless killers. At her own thoughts: she froze. It was not as if they had a choice. They were sick, and made this way by someone else. They weren't born this way, and she was sure Lucy had not been born that way. Kouta turned his head and looked to the girls.

Nozomi held Mayu close to her as she trembled. Mayu held the older woman's hand as Wanta looked up to them trying to do his duty and keep them comfortable. Lucy looked up from beneath her bangs and looked back down the hall. It was their only safe haven and they had to abandon it.

"Kouta..." the crestfallen Queen spoke. Kouta squeezed his eyes close. He knows sometimes he did not understand things, but he knew he was not ignorant to important matters. Lucy was dangerous, he was now dangerous, meaning that no matter who these women were, they were too a danger. Kouta nodded and turned to face them.

"Hurry!" He rushed them. The group rushed to the back of the house where they would escape. The pair of Diclonious would jump the fence and carry their housemates along the lengths of their vectors. They took off with nothing more than one another at their sides. They had no food, no money and no place to call home.

Walking on a road like this was often lonely, but the small group had one another. They could not look back. The sky was a sickly dust color, the sediments from the disaster had since carried into the trade winds, mixing with the virus. It was a hard decision. They had to either walk the streets and prepare for a death by the hands of the very people they wished to leave in peace, or stay at the Maple Inn and suffer at the hands of those mindless Diclonious.

Mayu was exhausted and had fallen asleep. Kouta carried the young girl on his back while Wanta raced alongside the group to keep them together. The golden dog's fur has thickened in his age and his size as a large dog was now apparent. Lucy walked along between Yuuka and Kouta. Though the Diclonious Queen looked as if she was blocking the young woman from Kouta, the fire-haired female actually sought comfort between the pair. Yuuka was like a sister to her. Yuuka had never betrayed her and always took care of her even though she knew and was well aware of their rivaled affection for Kouta. Despite that Yuuka had always taken care of her and Kouta. The group walked many miles and for many hours. After everything they were not even afforded the opportunity to rest and recover.

The roads were lifeless. Cars and trucks were left abandoned as many sought to escape the country on foot, but were only met with resistance from the military and shot dead where they stood. The barriers that blocked the bridge, the only escape from the sea-side town, were littered with the slumped over corpses of civilians, a few military officers had been taken down in the riots. Fires still burned and the smell of death was held thick in the air by the salty ocean breeze. Yuuka stared at the ground. Everywhere she turned was a dead body. It was becoming commonplace and unsettled her stomach. These people were just scared, and what did the government do? But there was nothing she could say, because it was the first line of defense for _anyone_. If something wanted to hurt you, or make you sick, you don't let it in or out and allow it to spread, but it also made her angry.

With all the information Kurama has on Diclonious could he not convince them that they were not some disease? They were people to. They cry, she has seen it. They are fragile, Lucy herself has lost her arm and possible her heart to this terrible situation. Yuuka jumped hen something bumped against her arm. "Kouta!" Yuuka called as the young man had gotten a bit ahead of them. He stopped and looked back, Lucy had collapsed in exhaustion.

At the UN Kurama had made his plea and insisted that he had all the information available and they had no choice but to accept their fate, but humans were stubborn animals. They decided to hold off on their decision to eradicate the source of the Diclonious for another day, assured that they were trapped on the island nation of Japan. They were aware that there _was _a cure. A doctor from that region named Arakawa. She had been in the custody of the JDSF, but had been evacuated when a hoard of 'armored Diclonious' invaded city after city, almost like a swarm of locust consuming the season's crops.

Arakawa was crouched down in an abandoned warehouse that the JDSF had occupied when they were forced to evacuate their base. Several bases had been attacked in a similar manner: a Diclonious would suddenly appear and set fire to the base, where more would swarm in and attack everything in sight. Arakawa was petrified. What could they do? They couldn't keep running. Little were the aware there was no way she could recreate those notes. All of the data was gone. The water was not was destroyed it, but whatever was _in_ the water.

_Thu thunk!_

Banged the metal frames of the walls. Arakawa screamed and jumped. The soldiers were at attention. Their firearms were prepped and their surveillance at maximum, but when the dogs started baring, they knew their enemy was upon them. The banging intensified and a terrible rattling shrilled across the warehouse. The computers constantly ran, and reran Arakawa's reworked data and whatever data was left from the facility was put through cycles to repair the damaged data and piece what they could back together. The machines suddenly stopped. The loud hums of the machines died down and left the warehouse in absolute silence. One by one the lights went out and added darkness to that deafening emptiness that caused the tinnitus to ring in one's ears.

The dogs were set loose, their growling snarls obvious as their handlers unhooked their leashes. A pained bark erupted from the dogs followed by an agonizing yelp and a squelch of liquid. Arakawa sunk down further with each noise. Men began to shout and opened fire. In her mind she continuously chanted at the uselessness of their endeavors because no ordinary weapon could damage a Diclonious, and even with the anti-tank weapons they carried, because of the Diclonious these girls were cloned from, even the anti-tank weapons were utterly useless. The screams took over the once brave soldiers. The horrific sounds intensified and Arakawa continued to sink to the ground, sobbing.

Why did she allow herself to get into such a situation? Just as she began to question her own well being, and her selfishly wrought destiny: silence fell over the warehouse. It made not only the doctor nervous, but the soldiers situated inside the building. With no warning the windows, that ran along the upper catwalks of the building, shattered in and rained glass upon the men. They were forced to scatter and set up their defensive positions. Arakawa was pulled to her feet ad ordered to take all the information she could and send it to the their commander. Little did the soldiers know, the commander had been slain by Diclonious at the Maple Inn...

Arakawa set to work. Gunfire opened. The doctor was blind, she could see nothing as she furiously worked between her cramping stomach and shaking legs. "D-done!" She shakily announced. Two soldiers grabbed her by her arms and took off running with her under cover, protected from the open fire. She could hear, no feel, men dying and dropping to the ground as she run along, blind by the darkness. The soldiers wore night-vision equipment, but even than it did not allow them to see their death as the vectors ripped into their bodies and turned their insides into a slurry of blood and organic matter. It was a nightmarish sight and the screams of pain and agony raised into the night.


	19. Ende

**Chapter 19: Ende**

Kouta and his small, broken family camped out in an abandoned van in the street. In the back of the van the Diclonious Prince lay curled with Mayu curled against him. He had been worried because she was showing signs of being infected, but she had not been born with the disease. Why was it happening? Two small horn-like protrusions sat under the young girl's bangs. Was it because he was infected? Yuuka lay beside Lucy, who had been awake watching her Prince worry over the child. She was not sure if Kouta could hear it, but she could hear the faint hum of the call from Mayu and her developing vectors. Guilt filled the Queen.

Outside people viciously fought for supplies. Shops were broken into, though the _infection_ posed no danger to human life, in a sense. It took that ideal of humanity away as their bodies changed and horns would begin to form on a select few, causing changes in the body, but neither did the change reduce lifespan. Those who had changed were forced into hiding, but many were given amnesty by their relatives who could not bear to abandon their kin. The struggles among the people had shifted between them and the roving clones that would destroy anyone they could not infect.

For the higher-ups, the ones supposedly in charge, saw the growing problems much differently. Instead of policing the situation into a peaceful one, they sought to annihilate any traces of the Diclonious virus. Leaders from around the world and important government officials were placed into deep, underground bunkers where the air-flow was controlled by a filtration system that would keep them safe from the virus which passed through the air.

_No place was safe._

To Arakawa's horror she and her company arrived at the Maple Inn to find not only the commander but several Diclonious dead.

"W-what is going on?" Arakawa would shriek at the sight, only to fall to her knees and fight back her gag reflex as the bodies of both enemy and ally lay shred and torn to pieces by the ferocity of their fighting.

Their bodies were torn open, organs completely disemboweled and spilled over the grass and tatami mats. The commander, in particular, had been brutally mutilated. Not only was his arm, which was still carrying its weapon, was torn clean from the body, his head had been snapped, brutally twisted around so his face lay in the grass, though his chest faced the air. Blood-laden footprints led the officers accompanying Arakawa were led to believe that a few Dicloni survived and now roamed the property. The doctor was ordered to stay by the regiment while a few went about the property to check.

Arakawa was uneasy. She knelt down and reached her hand out to examine the troops. Her hand brushed over their corpses. Looking over her notes she had noticed something troubling. The Diclonious mutations changed rapidly. She had worried that instead of the physical contact needed by the vectors to infect a man's chromosomes, that it would somehow mutate and leave obviosu signs of mutation on the man, which typically meant calcified forms that carried the extra neurons and nerves needed to control vectors, but she was relieved when she found nothing of the sort on them.

"Arakawa-sensei!" The lieutenant called as he came from around the house. She pushed to her feet hurriedly, trying to desperately wipe some of the blood off her jacket.

"D-did you find them?" She worried, or at least traces of them. If she did not have a sample of the Queen's RNA there was no way she could develop a new vaccine to match this rapidly changing virus.

The lieutenant shook his head. "No ma'am, it is possible they fled before or after the attack. There are signs of a previously consumed meal, but its a cold trail."

Damn! Now what were they to do? Arakawa nervously bit down on her lips and snapped her head up. "Call Kurama-sensei!" She would order. The men seemed confused. "He has his daughter with him. I heard that Diclonious can locate one another from a distance." Maybe they could use Nana to locate the Queen, but little did Arakawa know that the senses were limited to the Diclonous' power, and Nana was by far the weakest of her sisters.

On the van back to his hotel, Kurama answered his cell phone to a very jittery Arakawa. "Hello?" The doctor looked to his daughter and pet the top of Nana's head. They had tried their best to convince the hard-asses in the UN, but in the end it was a stalemate. No conclusions were reached on what to do about the Diclonious threat. He was horrified they still considered it a threat even after everything he had said.

He had been as narrow-minded once, but this was not a time to dawdle on such important decisions. The fate of homo sapien was at risk, or perhaps the new world that they had so wished for many centuries.

"S-sir! It's me ...Arakawa." She whispered her name, ashamed for everything she had put him and his daughter through and so many others. She had only wanted to become recognized. Now that she was known she could not find a way to hide from these disasters. She just wanted to disappear.

"Ah, Arakawa-sensei, how are things over in Japan?" His voice was cold, and she flinched even if it was over the phone. She knew he was mad about everything, but she was truly sorry and trying to repent. Maybe, this time, if she made the vaccine, she would do so only to help the people suffering from the change.

But what sort of suffering? A physical affliction, or a social affliction caused by a natural inability to accept someone different?

"S-sir we were looking f-for the Queen." She had to calm down and explain. "You see I was developing a new vaccine, but it seems that the virus has mutated slightly and I needed to locate the exp- Lucy." She corrected. "But it s-seems their home was attacked and they are no where to be found."

"And so," Kurama interrupted. "You thought Nana could help?" Nana looked up at her father. Her, help? Nana wanted to help and did not mind helping if she was needed. "Nana would be happy to help, but we have to be in Japan, we'll be home soon." It was not what Arakawa wanted to hear, but what choice did she have.

It was still curious. When had the virus evolved? Mutated was such an ugly word. In the front of the car the driver sneered. He chuckled and reached down beside him where sat a massive explosive device in the front seat.

"Like hell I'll let any of this shit go down. You're godless monsters!" The man activated the device. With a distinct ticker beep the collection of plastic explosives ignited and the cab was lit up in a display of twisted metal and fire.

The line on Arakawa's side went dead after hearing the jumbled words of the driver. She looked to the phone. "Director Kurama?" But there was no answer.

In the streets of the city, overseas, people swarmed toward the sight of the _accident._ Word quickly spread of the many opposed, radically, to the Diclonious' existence. Thus the war against the homo order of species began.

Lucy had moved to lay with Kouta and Mayu. Wanta was on his side, happily sleeping by his family. The dog had no care of human, animal, cat, bird, lizard... all he cared about was the warmth he received and happiness from being with others. Yuuka had realized she was on the side of the van on her own. She sleepily woke and crawled over to the others where it was warm. She nestled herself between Mayu and Lucy. The Queen sighed as she lay her arm over Yuuka, keeping as close to her broken family as she could. She felt the fingers of her Prince touch against her own. Lucky looked up to Kouta who smiled. The small mix of Human, Diclonious and animal lay nestled together, ignoring the sounds of chaos as it bled in from the outer world.

It all seemed so surreal, was this the end of days?


	20. Entscheidung

**Chapter 20: Entscheidung**

It had finally arrived, the day of Judgement. This was the day foretold by man so many centuries ago. On a certain day, of a certain month, in a certain year would humans cease to exist. The gods returning from the heavens to see to it that the human race was no more, but little did the humans expect their end to come at the hands of their own genetic evolution. It was neither a matter of religion or science now, but of survival.

A friendly group had found the van the small group had been resting in. Kouta and Yuuka had been trying to hotwire the van so they could maybe get somewhere. It had been frustrating because the young, now Diclonious male, had no skill. The people had been hesitant to approach but seeing the young girl and dog sitting at the edge of the sliding door they had to come to the conclusion they were not bad people, granted there appeared to be two Dicolnious present.

It was natural, selfish human instinct. If these were Diclonious, who better to hide behind to fend off others?

The group helped wire the van to start. Lucy was sitting in the passenger seat when Kouta climbed in. Yuuka, Mayu and Wanta, as well as a few others climbed into the back of the van. A car drove up, pulling a trailer with a few other people as well. Kouta lowered the window as a tall, dark-haired male walked up to Kouta. He wore a beanie and what bit of clothing he could manage to sloppily toss on during the exodus from various Prefectures. The young man that helped Kouta wire the van held out his hand in a friendly gesture.

"Please take care of us on this journey." He wished. Kouta smiled and nodded.

"Of course, we'll have to depend on each other." Kouta smiled brilliantly, even if the horns upon his head were fiercely intimidating. It only took that touch for Kouta to realize. "You...?"

The man chuckled and pulled off his beanie to reveal two, small horns. He looked back to the car where a woman sat, an obviously pregnant belly. Lucy glanced up from between her bangs, eyes catching the woman as she glanced over. The pregnant woman rubbed her belly warmly as she smiled to the young, Diclonious Queen. Lucy quickly looked down. She could sense it...

"My fiance, she is carrying twins. For...their sake, you know?" The young man smirked a bit. Kouta nodded.

"For the sake of my family as well." Kouta replied. The man laughed and turned to wave out. The sound of cars and other motor vehicles could be heard in the distance before coming into view.

They would all escape together than. This carnage, it could not exist everywhere. People were fighting each other for supplies and killing neighbors out of fear of infection. But seeing this group, an obvious mix of humans and infected, no... It was rather a transcending. It was a more graceful description of what Kouta could see. They were transcending their hatred and fear for the sake of those they loved, trusted and wanted to live happily in the crumbling world. The man tapped the side of the van and raced off toward his car and jumped onto the trailer. He called out a forward march, which put the entire caravan into motion.

Kouta put the van into drive and looked over to Lucy. "Luc...Lucy what is wrong?" No he could not call her Kaede anymore could he? She was a new person. She glanced up meekly, her hands crossing over her stomach nervously.

"That woman..." She whispered, watching as the woman waved as the car moved ahead. The van soon followed. Lucy glanced away. "Her babies are..."

"The future." Kouta interrupted. Lucy looked up at him. "They are the future, so let's take care of them, and everyone from now on okay?" Kouta asked. Lucy smiled and gave a nod.

Lucy smiled as she leaned back, her hands over her stomach. "_You too than..."_ She thought as she looked to stare off, feeling the new life in her stomach. "It will be better, right Kouta? Because I want it to be better." Lucy spoke aloud, the others in the van sat with the sliding door open, talking between other members of the caravan of motor vehicles. "I'll make sure Dicolnious and Humans... transcend this Judgement." She assured.

Kouta smiled. "I'll be with you... as well as Mayu and Yuuka." Kouta was barked at in protest. He laughed. "And Wanta. Always."

Death ravaged the world. The rogue Dicloni females run amuck in Japan, infecting people's genes with this evolutionary mutation. The airborne virus infected the thousands that were not killed outright by their neighbors. Arakawa had been trapped in a bunker as Dicoli swarmed her military entourage. It was as if they _knew._ They _knew_ she was a danger to their survival. Terrorism and Radical cults crumbled greater society as the governments around the world continued to fail, only wishing to serve their own, capitalistic and socialist agendas. People sought amnesty within these groups, because they had nothing but fear of death left within them.

Bloody war between brothers left the world but a shadow of its former self. Judgement had come and in a short few years Humanity was completely wiped out by their own hands. Humans had decided to evolve and just as with the Cro-Manon before them and the Neanderthals before them they would once again evolve and change becoming bones and a figment of the future's imaginations. The hornless skeletons of the former tyrant of the world would sit in degrading display so they could be gawked at and made example of.

Homo sapien, this is what the Diclonious evolved from? Such violent and underevolved creatures with such primitive beliefs of solidarity. The Diclonious were unified under their hive queen and king and their twin offspring who were fondly named Kaede and Kanae by their parents. Absolute control came with absolute unity. Working together toward the same goal: survival, the Diclonious would survive to rule the earth for another million years, until the next evolution consumed their culture, religion and way of life.

Judgement Day had come with a bang and left with a whimper. Through the eras _humans_ have been called many things: Apes, Neanderthal, Idaltu, Sapiens, Superior... in the end, they were just the result of the mutagenic consumption of heir ancestors.

Nothing more, nothing less. Just a speck of dust in the vast Universe.

**~_FIN_~**


End file.
